My Secret
by Rihua
Summary: *completed* Why is Vegeta and Bulma both acting so weird? No, the two incidents aren't related... or are they? And who is this Rye, the girl who claims to be from Vegeta's past? All copyrighted materials belong to their respective owners.
1. Chichi Is Saved

**My Secret- 1. Chichi Is Saved**  
  
Pools of tears gathered at the bottom lip of her eyes. They glistened, full of emotion. She sniffed and hiccupped several times. Sitting across the wooden table, the sympathetic woman patted her friend's icy cold hands, reassuring her.   
  
"There, there, Bulma. It's not worth crying over. Don't lose your hope."   
  
When the pool became overflowing, tears rolled off the edge of her eyelid like water drops, so round and three-dimensional. It left a streak of wetness down her cheek, and plunged down into her lap.   
  
Her hands, clasped together, sitting on top of the table, were visibly shaking. In fact, her whole body was shaking, trying to shake off the pain.   
  
Chichi rose from her seat, and stood behind Bulma. She place two warm hands on each of her shoulders, and helped the older woman get up. She then carefully dabbed the tears away from the blossom cheeks with tissues.   
  
"It's alright. Men just don't understand us." Chichi said bitterly. "Especially Saiyans."   
  
Bulma cracked a smile. It looked foreign on her tear-streaked face. "I can't believe I thought of such a thing. Please promise to keep this a secret between the two of us." Her voice spoke, without the usual flavor in them. It sounded mechanic to Chichi, and she could do nothing but escort her to the door.   
  
"You have my word. Are you sure you don't want to stay over tonight? We have plenty of room."   
  
Bulma shook her head. "You've done enough for me already. I have to go home. Trunks might need me."   
  
"I'm so selfish." And more tears rolled off Bulma's cheeks.   
  
"Bulma, stop it." Chichi did the only thing she could think of. "Stop putting yourself down. It wasn't your fault! He should apologize!" She yelled.   
  
Bulma shrank back. She has never been yelled by Chichi before. She was scared.   
  
"Trust me. Goku have done this to me many times. Saiyans are thick like that."   
  
"But I..." Bulma was abruptly cut off by the stern look she received.   
  
"If it makes you this uncomfortable, then tell him. Confront him. Now," Chichi watched Bulma get into her car, "stop walking with that tail between your legs. It isn't like you."   
  
Chichi slammed the car door shut, and waved goodbye. "Drive carefully, and come back real soon!"   
  
The car shot forward into the sky, and faded into the horizon. It was still three in the afternoon, plenty of time before the kids get home.   
  
"Poor Bulma." Chichi closed the door behind her, and sighed. She truly hoped her friend would be all right. She straightens the chairs and boiled herself a cup of tea. Over the years, she has found green tea to relieve stress, and a source of comfort.   
  
No sooner had the kettle whistled did the front door rattled. She quickly turned off the stove and before opening the door. Much to her horror, however, the door broke down before she could take another step. And behind that door was...   
  
Vegeta.   
  
In her haste, she dropped the teacup and it shattered at her feet. "What are you doing here?" There were traces of venom in her voice, which Vegeta ignored.   
  
"Tell me." He said calmly.   
  
"Tell you what? What are you talking about?" Her steady voice surprised her more than Vegeta.   
  
"What she'd told you."   
  
"She? Bulma?"   
  
Nod.   
  
"Nothing. Just gossips."   
  
But Vegeta wasn't buying it. A blue ball of energy began cracking in his left palm. "I'm not here to play. I know something has happened here. That woman never shed tears for no reason."   
  
"I told you, Vegeta. Nothing was going on. She was just shedding tears because I told her some tragic news about one of our old friends. Nothing of importance." There were no traces of fear in her voice at all. She was perfectly cool, even with the energy ball so near.   
  
With one hand, he put the energy out. Instead, he made a grab for her neck.   
  
"Vegeta!" A booming voice stopped the angry man on his seize. Vegeta's eyes grew in size, but his pupil shrank smaller than peas.   
  
"Good to see you again, old friend!" Goku's innocent smile appeared behind the bedroom door. "So, what do you say? Do you want to spar?"   
  
Vegeta had no choice but to allow the younger man to push him out of the door.   
  
"Don't come home half dead, Goku!" Chichi yelled before they flew beyond the hearing range. Her knees gave out and she slumped into the chair. Reaching behind her for some cups and tea bags, she stirred herself a cup of tea. The warm liquid flooded down her throat and sent heat throughout her cold body. She was so close. Goku was probably oblivious to what had transpired in the kitchen while he slept. Yet he saved her life, and she was still having a hard time accepting that. My Goku saved me. He woke up at the right time and saved my life. She couldn't forget Vegeta's reaction to Goku's entrance, however. It was almost as if he was taken off guard. She didn't give much thought, though, because she was still giddy over Goku, her knight in shining armor.   
  


--- 

  
As usual, the two Saiyans were almost matched in power. Punches and kicks were traded, each damaging the other equally. Even smart comments were given and received. The burning sun that shone so brightly at three was now just an orange glow of raw eggs. It sank lower and lower into the bigger mountains that surrounded Mt. Paozu, splashing red onto the cumulous clouds.   
  
"Hm. Looks like you've kept up your training, Vegeta."   
  
"Heh. Of course."   
  
Eventually, the aggressive bout gradually slowed to mild combat on the ground. Both were thoroughly exhausted, with some hint that Vegeta breathed more raggedly than Goku.   
  
"What's... the... matter? Quitting?"   
  
"Yep. It's time for dinner. Chichi will kill me if I'm late for dinner, you know." Goku wiped the blood off his chin.   
  
"Cheh. Fine. See ya." Vegeta just stood there on the dirt field.   
  
"Hey, aren't you going home, too?"   
  
"No, I think I'll stay here for a while. I'll like to train alone."   
  
"Oh, okay. Well, later, Vegeta." He took off into air.   
  
"Yeah, later, Goku."   
  
The young Saiyan almost fell out of the air. He dropped a few degrees, but ascended again. When he was a good distance away, Goku looked back and studied the lone warrior's ki.   
  
There was none.   
  


--- 

  
Ooh… creepy. I scared myself with that last sentence, writing it just before I went to sleep. When's the next chapter coming out? I have no idea. I guess it depends on the popularity. Do tell me, is it good? 


	2. What Trunks Knew

**My Secret- 2. What Trunks Knew**  
  
The growl from Goku's stomach could be heard over the mountains by the time he reached home.   
  
"Goku! Oh my goodness, look at you!"   
  
Goku knew he didn't look half as bad as the other times he fought Vegeta. She said the same thing every time he came home from a sparring session against him.   
  
Other than the streak of blood dribbling down the corner of his mouth and the swollen eye, there weren't any serious injuries. In the past, Vegeta has managed to crush his rib cage, break his arm, and twist his leg in a way Chichi refused to look at, but insisted that he go to a doctor.   
  
After a through inspection, with Chichi fussing over every rough spot, she ordered him to call the boys.   
  
"Goten! Gohan! Dinner!" His voice bellowed through the deep crevices of Mt. Paozu, and despite how far away they were, the two brothers came into view almost instantly.   
  
"Daddy! I won against Gohan!"   
  
"That's great, Goten. Now go wash up."   
  
"Father," the dumbfounded Gohan stopped short. "I thought you were taking a nap. How did you get those wounds?"   
  
"Uh... heheh. Vegeta stopped by."   
  
Gohan raised his eyebrows. "Oh? Interesting."   
  
"Eh?" But Gohan said nothing more, as he went inside to wash his hands.   
  
"Goku, what are you doing? Aren't you going to eat your dinner?" Chichi came out, wiping her hands on her apron.   
  
"Huh? What? Oh, sure. Coming."   
  
"Is something the matter?"   
  
"No, nothing's wrong."   
  
Chichi watched her husband walk into the bathroom. _What's on his mind?_

  
--- 

  
The humidity in the room was worse than New Jersey in July. Sweat just lingered in the air, attaching itself to anything that came within contact. Heavy breathing could be heard, and an even heavier breathing was drowning out the gravity machine's generator.   
  
Trunks stood upside down on his right pinky, working out his arm muscles by bending it up and down. He was debating with himself whether to tell his father or not.   
  
At last, he said, "Dad, did you notice Mom this morning?"   
  
Vegeta, who's been punching continuously in the heavy air before, finally looked at his son. "What are you getting at?"   
  
"I'm just asking. Did you notice her mood when you woke up?"   
  
"No."   
  
Trunks stared at his father.   
  
"I didn't see her this morning."   
  
"Oh."   
  
"Was there somewhere you wanted to go with that?"   
  
"Well... she's... not happy."   
  
Vegeta remained silent.   
  
"And... she's mad."   
  
"That's pretty normal."   
  
"She went over to Chichi's house today... to complain to her, I think."   
  
"That's normal, too."   
  
"I think... she's mad at you."   
  
Vegeta froze.   
  
"Mom... she's mad at you."   
  
"Why?"   
  
"I dunno. I just got the feeling."   
  
Vegeta narrowed his eyes.   
  
"When she came to wake me up this morning, she was all preoccupied and swearing under her breath."   
  
"Really. She must have waked up on the wrong side of the bed."   
  
"No... I think... I think..."   
  
"Yeah? Just say it."   
  
Trunks mumbled something under his breath so quietly; even Vegeta couldn't hear it through his strained ear. 

  
--- 

  
Meanwhile, safely back in the Capsule Corp kitchen was Bulma, setting the table for dinner.   
  
"Dear, would you call Vegeta and Trunks? Dinner is almost ready."   
  
"Sure, Mom."   
  
Bulma rushed out to the back, and was about to pound on the door when she realized there was no sound coming from inside.   
  
She turned the knob quietly, and opened the door just a crack. Putting her eye in the opening, she saw a very unusual sight indeed. Vegeta was standing in the middle of the room, hand still frozen in the air, one extended and the other one bent, looking behind him. She couldn't see behind him, but she guessed he was looking at Trunks. They didn't even notice the gravity shutting off automatically.   
  
Bulma swung the door full. "Trunks, Vegeta, dinner's ready."   
  
Her voice made them both flinch. Bulma blinked at her husband and son. As long as she knew them, they never flinched at ANYTHING.   
  
"Dinner's ready...?" She repeated uncertainly.   
  
Trunks was first to come to his senses. "Oh right, Mom. Boy, I'm starving! It's about time." And he rushed off to the house.   
  
Bulma turned back to Vegeta and forced a smile. "Aren't you hungry?"   
  
He said nothing in return, but walked away silently, studying her when he walked past her.   
  
Bulma was left closing the Gravity Room door, and she was the last one at the table.   
  
Not a word was exchanged during the meal. When the Saiyans were done, they rushed off to the Gravity Room again, and Dr. Briefs went back to work in the lab, leaving the women to clean up after them. 

  
--- 

  
What did Trunks said?! I promise, it will be revealed in the later chapters, although it may not be directly. Remember, this fic is supposed to have unanswered questions and confusing details. That's the beauty of mystery, isn't it? Of course, that doesn't give it an excuse for poorly written details. They are just not clear... yet. *smile slyly*   
  
Note to reviewers: Thank you very much for all your flattering reviews. Hopefully I won't get too overconfident. After reading them all, I feel the need to address some questions. First of all, I know a lot of writers describing the setting before going into the story. I have done that in the past only if the setting was an A/U. This time, however, I wanted to challenge myself to let the reader figure out by themselves, as done in most published books. I guess people got a little impatient. ^^;; I feared they will get distracted in trying to hunt for the setting, that they won't have time to concentrate on what I want them to think about. I'll just have to practice more, don't I? For now, I'll just tell you that this story takes place between the end of Kid Buu, and the beginning of the last World Martial Arts Tournament shown on Z. There will be more details later on as the plot unfolds.   
  
And yes, I do feel honored to be reviewed at all. I know I'm still a rookie in the FFnet community. I guess asking for reviews gives it all away, huh? I can understand your concern, though, because I read a lot of other people's stories, but when they say they'll post again after getting a certain number of reviews, I have the impression that that person (no offense to anyone) knows he/she isn't very good, but desperate for praise. Then that makes me feel like I'm just wasting my time reading it. Not to be selfish or anything, I read for my own benefit, to improve my writing and increase my vocabulary which is so pathetically low, not to critique others. I feel like I'm still not good enough to rate other people's writing ability, especially criticizing them, because I know for one, that fanfiction isn't the only type of writing, and they may be better at another form, and two, I'm not J.K. Rowling or Caroline Cooney.   
  
Wow, I guess my footnotes made up for the shortness of this chapter. Trust me when I tell you I didn't write them because I ran out of ideas. I just didn't want to start the next part, or else it's going to get too long. I develop the plotline at night, and then write them down the next day, which means I know the approximate length of each part (scene, I guess you can call them). 


	3. Don't Worry

**My Secret- 3. Don't Worry**  
  
By the time all the dishes were clean and drying in the dish dryer, the grandfather clock in the family room rang nine times.   
  
"Mom, I'm going to put Trunks to bed."   
  
"Okay, sweetie." Mrs. Briefs smiled from the family room.   
  
"Where is she going?" Dr. Briefs came out of his lab.   
  
"To the gravity room, dear." Mrs. Briefs winked at him.   
  
"Ah." And he, too, smiled knowingly. 

  
--- 

  
Dinner was always full of life in the Son's household. There were many laughing, talking, and of course, eating. After the dinner, however, was a different story, and Chichi was left with piles of dishes on both sides of her, as well as a table-full behind.   
  
"Gohan! Goten! Bedtime!"   
  
"Yes, Mom!"   
  
"Yes, Mother."   
  
Chichi let out a loud sigh.   
  
"Chichi," Goku's voice drifted from behind the plates on the table, "Something's not right."   
  
"What is it, Goku?"   
  
"When we were sparring, Vegeta and me, he was weak."   
  
"Maybe you just got stronger."   
  
"No, Chichi. Vegeta is pushing himself twice as hard as me. There won't have been much of a difference. And... he was acting really strange, too."   
  
"I've always known that man to be strange."   
  
"Chichi, he called me Goku."   
  
She dropped a plate. "What?"   
  
"Yeah. He never called me that before, but today, before I came home, he called me Goku. He said, 'Yeah, later, Goku'. I can't figure it out."   
  
"So he's turning over a new leaf."   
  
"Chichi, I don't think Vegeta has any leaf."   
  
"Goku! What a horrible thing to say!"   
  
"Well, it's true. He's always so firm in his ways."   
  
"Enough. I have a lot of dishes to wash, Goku, thanks so SOMEBODY." She narrowed her eyes. "So why don't you go take a bath? You smell horrible."   
  
Goku sighed. Why couldn't he just say what's on his mind? The answer was simple: because she'll think you're insane. 

  
--- 

  
Bulma opened the gravity room door, and just like it's programmed to, the gravity generator slowed to a halt smoothly.   
  
She stepped in. "Trunks, time for bath. Hey, where's your father?"   
  
"Hi, Mom. I already took my bath here. Dad is in there right now. I'm going to bed. Good night!" Trunks rushed past her, and into the house.   
  
"Good night, Trunks....?"   
  
That's probably the fastest time she has gotten Trunks to bed, Bulma noted. She was about to follow him when strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist.   
  
Bulma's first instinct told her to scream, but her logical side reminded herself that it was only Vegeta, as she could feel his rippled muscles through her green velvet dress.   
  
She placed both of her hands on his arm, and relaxed completely. They stayed that way for a long time, both enjoying each other's warmth.   
  
Vegeta, running out of patience, placed one of his hands on her shoulder, and fingered her strap. Bulma, in response, grabbed his wrist. "Not tonight, Vegeta. Just... hold me."   
  
He was taken off guard by her desperate plead, and wordlessly abided her request. He turned her around so she wasn't facing away. Bulma laid her head on his shoulder.   
  
He was afraid to do any sudden moves, so he just stood there as still as possible. He tried to ask her, to comfort her, but those words were not in his mouth. Instead, he rubbed her back.   
  
"Vegeta..." Bulma's hoarse voice reached his ear. "I... am so, so sorry."   
  
He felt like yelling. Sorry for what? What did she do that he didn't know about?   
  
"I told Chichi..."   
  
Bulma never got a chance to finish, as Vegeta captured her lip in a deep kiss.   
  
Bulma couldn't understand what came over him, and by the looks of it, neither could Vegeta.   
  
But he didn't stop there, when he lifted both of them into air, and Bulma let out a gasp.   
  
"I never took you flying before, have I?"   
  
She shook her head, no.   
  
Vegeta's old, familiar smirk came slyly.   
  
Faster than speed of jets, he shot out of the gravity room's open door and high into the heart of West City, with Bulma still tight in his arms. Or rather, Bulma cringed onto his neck like a newborn baby.   
  
He turned her around, using much force, so she could have a view of the city at night.   
  
"Woa. It's gorgeous, Vegeta."   
  
And he took that chance to grab both of hands and let her hang free in the air.   
  
"VEGETA!! Get me up there at once!"   
  
Vegeta just laughed. "Don't worry. You don't think I'll drop you, do you?"   
  
"YES! Vegeta, I'm warning you!"   
  
"Fine, fine." He smiled and turned over, pulling Bulma on top of him. Normally he would have tortured her more, but she just gave him a delightful idea.   
  
He flew vertically up, higher and higher towards the clouds.   
  
"Vegeta, why are you going so high? The atmosphere is too thin up here for me. Can we please go down?"   
  
Smirk. It wasn't a small dark one, but a full smirk, like the one he pulled at the World Martial Arts Tournament right before Buu appeared.   
  
In a lightening fast maneuver, he rolled over, and released everything. Bulma, who wasn't prepared for anything rash, fell, loosing altitude by the second.   
  
"Vegeta!!!"   
  


--- 

  
Gosh, you people are very impatient, aren't you? ^_^ Yes, Vegeta is still alive, as you can see, and yes, this is a romance fic. Well, this is a romance fic in my definition at least. What is my definition? When I read about romance, I look for the emotional parts. I don't care about the physical junk. The more the story moves my heart the better. I'm not sure how I did on my own, but I sure enjoy writing it! I'm really happy to hear that you enjoy reading it as well. 


	4. The Diamond Necklace

**My Secret- 4. The Diamond Necklace**  
  
In a lightening fast manuver, he rolled over, and released everything. Bulma, who wasn't prepared for anything rash, fell.   
  
"Vegeta!!!"   
  
Bulma's first instinct was to grab hold of something, but there was nothing within her sight. Her ear was pounding from the abrupt change in pressure. She briefly wondered why Vegeta was trying to give her a heart attack.   
  
Then, much to her anger, she saw him... falling next to her... laughing. She tried to make a grab for him, but he purposely flew just beyond her reach. Bulma twisted herself around to see the ground, and her eyes almost popped out of its socket She was heading straight for the lightening rod.   
  
Just when she thought the pole was going to thrust right through her, firm hands grabbed both sides and scooped her into the air. Up above, Vegeta rolled over and allowed her to catch her breath, but he was laughing himself. Hard.   
  
When Bulma's heart was no longer beating two-hundred per minute, she began beating him with her fist. When her fist felt broken, she glared at him. But looking at his laughing face, she gradually began to smile on her own. Nobody could stay mad at a laughing face for long, and besides, she has never seen him so happy.   
  
So this is Vegeta's idea of fun, she thought. Danger and risk must be a thrill to him.   
  
"It's nice to see you had a good time. You almost gave me a heart attack."   
  
"What? You didn't think I'll be able to catch you? I'm so hurt to hear that you have such little confidence in me." He smirked.   
  
Bulma smiled. At least his sense of humor is somewhat reasonable.   
  
They floated around like that for a while. Bulma sat on top of Vegeta like a chair, and her legs were dangling off one side. She, of course, had a death grip on his arm that lay over her lap. Vegeta had his other arm folded underneath his head, and he was admiring her angelic figure. And, at the same time, trying to work up his courage.   
  
Bulma was oblivious to it all, as she thought of how much the city looked like a giant glittering diamond. The many band of highways formed the edges that reflected the light in all directions. There were small but numerous dark triangles between the road tubes, which looked like each of the polished surface.   
  
"Bulma."   
  
Instead of answering, Bulma grabbed both of Vegeta's shoulder by her hands and lowered her head down to kiss him, gently.   
  
She propped her head on her arms and used his shoulder blades for the foundation. Her leg was getting uncomfortable, so she extended them behind her.   
  
She brought her head next to his ear, and whispered softly, "Thanks."   
  
"Happy Birthday."   
  
Bulma raised her head. Vegeta could see the twinkle in her eyes.   
  
"Vegeta!" What he got after that was a shock. She hugged him tightly, with all her love.   
  
"You remembered." She said through tears of joy.   
  
_When is she going to stop doubting me?_   
  
She raised her head again and returned to the original position. "Wait till I tell Chichi! She'll be so jealous!"   
  
Taking advantage of her distraction, he pulled out a necklace from his pocket. Using both hands, he put the fine, golden chain around her neck, and she literally shrieked.   
  
"Thank you, Vegeta!"   
  
_Women are so easy to please._   
  
He watched her stroke the surface. It took the shape of a three-dimensional diamond. The clear plastic had sprinkles in it that reflected the moonlight, and in the middle of it all was a round, hollow, metal circle with a trident and a half circle inside. She recognized the symbol as the one Vegeta had told her about, symbolizing the Royal House of Vegeta.   
  
Vegeta couldn't help but smile as she held it up against the moon, admiring it from all sides. If only he could tell her everything about it. He thought she would like to try and figure out the truth by herself, although he hoped the day it'll come in use would not be very soon. For now, he was just going to let her enjoy the beauty of it. 

  
--- 

  
Trunks lay in the dark, staring up at the sky. The moon was so big and bright, but he knew it wasn't a full moon. That was yesterday. He searched the sky for his parents, but the dark had concealed them.   
  
Then he heard footsteps.   
  
They were soft and light, like someone was walking on the carpet barefoot. The door to his room creaked open ajar.   
  
"Dad?"   
  
All kinds of possibilities flooded the young warrior's mind.   
  
"It's just me, boy."   
  
Trunks jumped up, even more alarmed. "Dad! What are you doing here?!"   
  
"I have to check something. Are you positive Bulma went to Chichi's house this afternoon?"   
  
"Yes. She even told us at lunch."   
  
"Where's she now?"   
  
"What? I thought... Maybe she went to her room. What happened?"   
  
Vegeta left without saying another word. That made Trunks worry more. What did happen? He got up and stared out the window. He could see nothing. Trunks went back to bed, and pulled a cover over himself, but he didn't sleep for a long, long time. 

  
--- 

  
Vegeta held Bulma's hand in a firm grip. Her body was suspended in air while he glided her along the skyscrapers. When they stopped, the necklace fluttered in the wind, and then obediently hung still between her bosom again.   
  
Then, silently, Vegeta landed in the cliff. Lights from the city was visible on all three sides like a giant movie theater. He laid on his back and stared at the clouds moving over the moon.   
  
Bulma, also lying on her back, was staring at the necklace. She folded her hand over them and pressed it close to her heart. Her first gift.   
  
When she looked to her left, Vegeta was smiling at her, his eyes almost laughing at her childishness.   
  
"Hey! You never gave me an engagement ring, remember? This is the first gift I got from you in fifteen years."   
  
He nodded, and looked away again. Perhaps she had imagined the taunting look?   
  
Bulma was never the one to go on long without talking. She sat up, demanded that he do the same.   
  
"What?"   
  
"Vegeta... I have something to tell you." 

  
--- 

  
Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. I had to use my weekend to upload a new layout for my personal site, Ryoken ().   
  
If the scene about Vegeta visiting Trunks confuse you, don't worry about it. ^_^ It'll be clear soon. So, maybe Vegeta was a little weird, wishing Bulma a happy birthday, but it was necessary. In later chapters, his gift is going to play a huge part. *hint, hint* 


	5. Two Brotherly Son's Great Chase Dodge, G...

**My Secret- 5. Two Brotherly Son's Great Chase. Dodge, Goten!**  
  
"Vegeta... I have something to tell you."   
  
"Hm."   
  
"I realized today that... that you are really the one who I meant to be with."   
  
No comment.   
  
"Before, I've always wondered if I made the right choice... to be with you. I thought, maybe I should have stayed with Goku. I know I shouldn't have measured you with him, but I couldn't help it. When you went to space to train before Cell came, I thought, 'Goku won't abandon his family like this.' I guess I was being just selfish. You told me you were training to surpass Goku, but I knew you were also training to protect us. But even after Cell was defeated, you continued to train, taking Trunks with you. At first, I didn't like that. I wanted our son to be a human, as much as you wanted him to be a Saiyan. I didn't want you to push him, and turn him into a fighting machine."   
  
"A Saiyan is pratically a fighting machine."   
  
"But Goku trained Gohan, and look where he's now."   
  
"Indeed. Look where he's now, being a scholar."   
  
"He has a heart, Vegeta."   
  
"As does Trunks, unfortunately. A heart is just part of what it means to be half human. You can't erase it from them."   
  
"Goku has a heart."   
  
"Kakarot was raised in human ways. That's the only disadvantage. The human way, they are permenant whether they have been born or raised into you. The Saiyan customs could only be obtained through birth."   
  
"But then again, there were a couple of times when I saw myself fortunate to have chosen you. Actually, Chichi had to show them to me because I just took you for granted. She said that unlike Goku, you are always training in the gravity room. Even though technically I don't see you other than meal time, I agree it makes me feel safer to have you so near. I mean, Chichi said sometimes Goku goes all the way to the deserted mountains on the east coast to train, and in those times, she have to send her sons to fetch him. And today, you showed that you don't forget, unlike Goku. Vegeta, I was really happy when you told me you didn't forget my birthday. And my gift... it's priceless. I know from personal experience that Goku's idea of a birthday gift would be a dandilion. Poor Chichi."   
  
Bulma finally looked at him, but his face was emotionless. "Are you mad?"   
  
"Tell me one thing. Do you measure me against your ex, too?"   
  
"Yamcha? No. But then again, there's nothing to measure. I've came to that conclusion a long time ago. Have I ever told you, Yamcha always went to the desert or somewhere uncharted on the map and left me with Puar for years? And as if that's not enough, he has no respect for my feelings! I mean, I can understand if girls fall for him... I fell for him myself, but he doesn't have to boast about it! I mean, I know you have more fans, but at least you drive them away. So, to answer you question, no, you are such an improvement over him in all the categories that I have nothing to compare and weigh with him."   
  
He picked her up, and slowly flew them both home. At their bedroom balcony, Vegeta set her down, and said quietly, "I'm not mad." He jumped over the railing.   
  
"Wait, Vegeta. Where are you going?"   
  
"There's still few more hours left. I'm going to train."   
  
Bulma was about to protest, when she backed down. She watched him fly down to the Gravity Room, and shut the door behind him. Bulma looked silently at the round dome, and she could almost imagine it jump and tilt, trying to keep itself together under the pressure Vegeta has set it.   
  
"Vegeta," she told the sky, "I thank you for going out of your way to make me happy today. Train hard."   
  
She went inside and changed into her pajamas. Getting into bed, Bulma turned on the lamp and held her necklace against the light. She could stare at this for hours. 

  
--- 

  
The bright moon shines through the window, spilling a ribbon of yellow into the room. Beside him, sheets shuffled repeatedly.   
  
"Gohan, is something wrong?"   
  
"Oh, sorry Goten. I didn't mean to keep you awake. It's just that, I can't understand something."   
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
"It's nothing. Go back to sleep."   
  
"Come on, tell me."   
  
"No, it'll probably solve itself in the morning."   
  
So he was going to play that way, eh? "Does this have anything to do with Vegeta?"   
  
Gohan sat up, and looked at Goten like with big eyes. "How..."   
  
"I overheard Dad telling you how he got that black eye."   
  
"Goten..."   
  
"I know he's lying. Vegeta was in the Gravity Room the whole day." Wow, Goten thought, _I actually surprised him... I could get used to this._   
  
"Goten, you know it's not polite to listen."   
  
"I'm sorry." He looked down, then looked up again, now in an accusing tone. "But he's lying, isn't he? He's just telling us that just so we won't worry, right?"   
  
"I... don't know. Dad has never lied to us before."   
  
"But... Vegeta can't be at two places at once!" He stood up.   
  
"Goten, keep your voice down. Mom and Dad's room is just next door."   
  
He hands quickly flew over his mouth.   
  
Gohan continued. "Besides, we can't be sure Vegeta was in the Gravity Room the WHOLE day. Remember, we went there pretty early. He could have left after us. It doesn't take that long to fly here."   
  
"Why would he do that?"   
  
"Maybe he wanted to take out his annoyance with Dad. That'll explain his lack of serious damages. And I could understand why he would be annoyed." Gohan looked at Goten meaningfully.   
  
"I still think Vegeta didn't come here."   
  
"I agree with you, Goten. Something feels wrong here, really wrong. What we need is solid proof. We have to make sure he didn't leave Capsule Corp. Then we can bring the case to Dad."   
  
"Oh, I know, I know! I know where to find solid proof!"   
  
"Do you even know what the words mean, Goten?"   
  
"Um... no. But we can ask Trunks! He can tell us."   
  
"I doubt Trunks will know either. Solid proof is court terms."   
  
"No, not solid proof!" He nearly cried out in exasperation. "We can ask Trunks to find out whether Vegeta left the house or not!"   
  
Gohan smiled. "Good thinking. We should call him now."   
  
"We can't, Big Brother. Mom said we can only call someone between 8am and 8pm."   
  
"It's only going to be for a while. Mom will never notice. Besides, I can't sleep until I have the answer."   
  
Goten walked into the shadows. "But when the phone rings at Trunk's house, his parents would hear it. And then they'll tell our parents."   
  
"Oh don't worry about that. I remember Trunks saying he has his own line. Their house is pretty well insulated."   
  
"And what if he says yes? What if he tells us Vegeta never left the house?"   
  
"Then... we'll think about that IF Trunks says so. I'm pretty sure the chances of that is slim to none."   
  
Gohan stood up and searched his desk. "So, do you know where my phone directory went?"   
  
Goten shook his head nervously.   
  
Gohan looked at him suspiciously. "What's that you got hidden behind you?"   
  
"Nothing." He pulled out his hands.   
  
"Stand away from the wall."   
  
Goten took one step towards his brother. A small book fell from his back.   
  
"Goten!" Gohan whispered fiercely.   
  
Goten wasn't about to give up that easily, however. He grabbed it, and made a dash towards the ceiling. Gohan, determined to get his directory back, also got airborn. Goten frantically flew away from his brother's reach while Gohan kept diving, and missing, his agile little brother. 

  
--- 

  
So the great chase has begun. Who will come out victor in this brother against brother match? Have mercy, Gohan!   
  
I feel like the narrator. This is probably the first chapter that sounds so much like a DBZ episode, starting from the title to the last narrator's line. It sure doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who's going to win. But that's not very important in the long run, I'll tell you.   
  
Oh, this is far from over. And yes, there's two Vegetas right now. Congratulations. You are actually the first to figure that out, I believe. 


	6. Can't Sleep

**My Secret- 6. Can't Sleep**  
  
Bulma was still admiring her gift when the door suddenly opened and Vegeta walked in. He closed the door and leaned against it.   
  
She smiled at him. "Finished so soon?"   
  
"I have to ask you a question."   
  
"Oh? And what would that be?"   
  
"What did you tell Chichi when you went over to her house this afternoon?"   
  
Darn. She hoped he would forget. "Oh that. Nothing important. You know, gossip and stuff."   
  
He wasn't expecting a dead end. He had to think fast. "You don't expect me to believe that, do you?"   
  
She released a sigh. "No, I guess not. But what I said was true, Vegeta. What I've told her... it's not that important."   
  
"I'll still like to know."   
  
"Fine. I just told her _that_."   
  
"_That_? What are you talking about?"   
  
"You know, the thing I told you about the other day."   
  
"Which other day?"   
  
"The day I told you to baby-sit Trunks." She smiled mischievously.   
  
"Refresh my memory."   
  
Bulma was taken aback by his perfect calmness. He wasn't kidding. He really did forget. "I didn't know you store such a miserable memory in your short term bank."   
  
A wrong move. "Oooh, that day. Of course I remember it." He knitted his eyebrows together in disgust.   
  
"I knew you were just pulling my leg." Bulma stated, sarcastically.   
  
"So what was her reaction?"   
  
"She was very sympathetic, that's for sure."   
  
A dead end. He turned around and opened the door.   
  
"Where are you going?"   
  
"Back to training."   
  
"Wait!" Bulma cried. "Before you go, I have a question, too!"   
  
"What?"   
  
"Does this thing mean anything?" She held up the necklace she has been fumbling with all this time. "I know the symbol inside means Saiyan royalty."   
  
He walked over to her bedside and picked the object up, examining it under the light. When he saw what it was, his hand shook, and his pupil grew small.   
  
"This... this means..." his voice shook uncontrollably. _I have to get a grip on myself._ "Yes, it does." He looked at her, and she looked back, obviously waiting for more.   
  
"Amulet is the closest word I can use to describe it, although I'm not sure if the definition is precise. Unlike an Earthling amulet, this is real. It's not just a good luck charm. This, this holds great power... Saiyan magic. It's called _tsukemono_. They usually come as the round metal itself, without the plastic. It unleashes a protective shield when the possessor of this amulet is in danger. It only protects the one it belongs to, however, so thieves would find it useless. The shield, which this creates, feeds off power from the one given to you, so the shield is as strong as the person himself."   
  
"Or herself."   
  
Vegeta chuckled. "That would be an insult, won't it? This amulet is almost a device for one to protect someone he loves when he can't be there for her. That's why it's most commonly passed between couples. Of course, there are some rare cases in which the mother gives it to her newborn child, but the chances of that is one in a million."   
  
"What would happen if the guy... dies?"   
  
"Then all the ki from him will be trapped within this amulet, and the only person who can unleash it will be the one he has given it to."   
  
She looked at her amulet with a whole new prospective.   
  
"Treasure it." And Vegeta left.   
  
_I will, Vegeta. I will._

  
--- 

  
Trunks rushed to the window. He saw his father's figure from the window in the Gravity Room. Trunks half wanted to rush in and demand an explanation, but decided against it, not wanting to risk getting in trouble. He went back to lie on his bed. 

  
--- 

  
"Chichi, I can't sleep."   
  
"I can see that, Goku." She grumbled from under the cover.   
  
"Why didn't Vegeta have a ki?"   
  
Chichi gave up, and pulled her head out of the cover. She reached for the overhead lights, and the fluorescent light came flooding over them blindingly.   
  
"For goodness sake, Goku. It's two o'clock in the morning. So, what seems to be keeping you up again?"   
  
"Tell me, was Vegeta acting stranger than normal to you today? I mean, normal for him?"   
  
"Hmm... Let's see now. I don't think so. He was a monstrosity like he always was."   
  
"Well, he felt strange to me."   
  
"Then it must be just you. Really, Goku. This is no time to be playing detective."   
  
"The thing that bothers me the most is the fact that he has no energy signal. It wasn't like low like suppressed. It was... almost as if there was nobody there. Like a projection."   
  
"What are you saying? That you fought an _image_ of Vegeta today? Then where could you have gotten your black eye?"   
  
"No, I definitely fought him today. I can feel my energy depleting. And I could hear Vegeta breathing really hard near the end."   
  
"So what possible explanation could there be?"   
  
"I don't know." 

  
--- 

  
2:00   
  
The neon red digits glowed from the control panel. Dripping a trail of sweat, Vegeta walked over to it and turned the machine off. Time to call it a quit for the day, he decided. When he stepped outside, he was greeted by a gust of wind blowing from the garden. With his delicate eardrums, he caught a sound of a twig snapping. It came from the row of cherry trees. He figured it was just a small animal lurking around, and gave it no second thought.   
  
Looking up, rather, Vegeta easily jumped and landed on the balcony. Once he slid the glass doors aside and slipped through the heavy curtains, the bright room and warm air took him by surprise. He expected Bulma to have fallen asleep hours ago.   
  
Upon hearing sounds from the windows, Bulma looked up. "Hi Vegeta."   
  
Humph. He walked past the bed and headed towards the bathroom.   
  
"Thanks for the _tsukemono_."   
  
He stopped in his tracks.   
  
"What's wrong?"   
  
Vegeta turned and walked back to her bedside. "How did you know?"   
  
"Huh? Why, you told me!" She was confused.   
  
"I did no such thing."   
  
"Yes, you did. You came in here a little while after you said you have to continue training."   
  
"Woman, I have been training ever since I left you here."   
  
"No, you came back saying you had a question to ask me."   
  
At first Vegeta thought she suffered a memory loss, but he realized she was telling the truth... as much as he was telling the truth.   
  
"Something's really wrong here. Whoever that came in here while I was training wasn't me. I've been in the GR all this time. Tell me what happened, and don't leave anything out." 

  
--- 

  
Yes, the plot is thickening, isn't it? Now that Vegeta and Bulma realizes something is just beyond the horizon, and Goku (unbelievably) also has his doubts, how are they going to react? The building onto the climax is almost to the end, but I haven't written the actual climax yet, and I'm getting nervous. At this update rate, I won't be able to catch up. I know I should start writing more, but I have so many stuff to do. And I do admit the number of reviews are a bit disappointing, but as I said in my diary, I won't dwell too much on it. 


	7. Goku's New Experience: The Telephone

**My Secret- 7. Goku's New Experience: The Telephone**  
  
Goten landed on top of his brother's desk. Gohan made a dive for him, and stopped just millimeter before crashing into his bookcase. Goten had turned around just a split second earlier, and dodged right, but he didn't realize he was standing on the edge of the desk, and he fell into the waste basket, head first.   
  
"Gotcha!" Gohan whispered breathlessly. He took the directory out of his little brother's death grip, and flipped to the page where he had jot down the numbers.   
  
"Gohan, help." Goten pleaded hopelessly. Gohan, reasonably, had no mercy left for Goten, and continued to punch in the numbers.   
  
Back in Trunks' room, the ringing phone made Trunks bolt out of his bed. _Who could be calling at this hour?_   
  
"Hello?" Trunks whispered into the receiver uncertainly.   
  
"Hi, Trunks. This is Gohan."   
  
"Gohan? What's up? You do know it's two in the morning." 

  
--- 

  
"Goku, if this is bothering you so much, why don't you just call Vegeta now?"   
  
Goku stared at Chichi like she had morphed into Vegeta.   
  
"Don't look at me like that. I know I won't get any sleep at this rate, and I think I remember Bulma once telling me that Vegeta trains past midnight. He's probably taking a shower now."   
  
"Are you sure?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
"Are you positive?"   
  
"Yes! Now let's just get this over with. Once you hear that Vegeta fought you today, you're going to sleep, right?"   
  
"Uh huh."   
  
She took the receiver and was about to punch in the phone numbers when she heard whispers.   
  
"What kind of question is that?" One end said.   
  
"I know it sounds ridiculous, but I just wanted to make sure." The awfully familiar voice answered.   
  
"He was here."   
  
"All afternoon?"   
  
"Well, not all afternoon. He left for a little while."   
  
"He did?"   
  
"Yeah. Said something about going to spar or something."   
  
"Are you positive? What time did he leave? How long was he gone for?"   
  
"I don't know! Maybe it was around four o'clock. He wasn't gone for that long though."   
  
Now Chichi finally matched the voice with its owner.   
  
"GOHAN!!" She screamed into the phone.   
  
Both ends fell into dead silence.   
  
Goten watched fearfully at his big brother, whose jaw hung all the way to the floor and his eyes protruding out of their sockets.   
  
"Gohan, what's wrong?" He kept shaking him, but his hand had no life of its own. It just kept swinging back and forth as Goten tried to get answers. "Gohan!"   
  
On the other hand, Trunks stared at the phone, contemplating his decisions. He knew he should hang up, but his other half wanted to hear what was going on. Actually, he was still confused as to why Gohan called him in middle of the night to ask about such a pointless question. Couldn't it have waited until morning?   
  
"Gohan, you get off the phone right this minute!" Trunks had to hold the receiver at arm length. Sheesh, she didn't have to scream. They were in the same house!   
  
Next to Gohan, Goten heard his mother, and he, too, felt like freezing himself to death. They were in so much trouble!   
  
Chichi was tired of hearing silence. She dropped the phone on the bed and yanked her bedroom door wide apart. The whole house shook under the force. And it continued to shake, as Chichi stomped into the boys' room, and threw their door open.   
  
Goku looked out the door helplessly. He took the receiver next to his ears, like he had seen Chichi done it. "Hello?"   
  
"Goku?" There was a clear sign of relief on the other end.   
  
"Trunks? Is that you? Wow, I can hear you."   
  
"Yes, Goku. This is a new invention called the telephone."   
  
"So this is a telephone. Say, what were you and Gohan talking about at this hour?"   
  
"You got me. Gohan just called me and started asking the most irrational questions."   
  
"Oh, I see. Hey, do you think I can talk to your dad with this thing?"   
  
"Uh... sure, I guess. Hold on."   
  
Trunks tiptoed out of his room and crouched next to the door that led to his parents' room. He could hear voices coming from the room, so he pressed his ears against the door.   
  
"Trunks, what's happening?"   
  
"Shush. I'm trying to listen."   
  
To say Goku was confused, would have been an understatement. 

  
--- 

  
"And he just left?"   
  
"Yes. When I looked up, he was gone. He closed the door behind him."   
  
"Very peculiar. Did you notice anything about him that was different?"   
  
Bulma thought tried to recall his appearance. "No. He looked just like you."   
  
Vegeta crossed his arms.   
  
"Vegeta, do you think-" She was roughly silenced by his finger. She looked at him, puzzled. He wordlessly walked over to the door, and opened it in a swoosh.   
  
"Trunks!" Bulma gasped. Vegeta growled.   
  
"Eh heh heh heh. Sorry."   
  
"What are you doing, still awake? You should have been asleep hours ago. And what do you have there?"   
  
"Goku's on the phone. He wants to talk to Dad."   
  
Vegeta stared suspiciously at Trunks for a while, and then took the phone. Bulma, meanwhile, got up and led Trunks back to bed. When she came back, closing the door carefully behind her, she heard Vegeta yell into the phone.   
  
"How should I know? I don't have time for this! WHAT do you want?"   
  
"Vegeta, even I know you don't have to yell to be heard over the phone."   
  
"Arrrrrgh... just get to the point."   
  
Bulma pressed her ear against the back of the phone to hear Goku's end of the conversation.   
  
"Okay, okay. Calm down. I just wanted to ask you your whereabouts today."   
  
"Why do you care?"   
  
"Because if you weren't sparring with me this afternoon, then we have a serious problem."   
  
"Sparring with you? No, I do not believe we saw each other this past two years."   
  
"You aren't pulling my leg, are you?"   
  
"I have no time for jokes. I'm going to sleep."   
  
"WAIT! Vegeta, don't you want to hear what the serious problem is?"   
  
"I don't think so." And he turned the cordless phone off before Bulma could snatch it out of his hand.   
  
"Vegeta, why?"   
  
"Why what?"   
  
"Why didn't you want to hear Goku's concern?"   
  
"I have no need to. I already know."   
  
"You... do?"   
  
Vegeta closed the bathroom door, leaving Bulma to figure out what he meant. 

  
--- 

  
"The NERVE of those two!"   
  
"Chichi, it's late. Sleep will calm you down."   
  
"It's about time you come to your senses, Goku." 

  
--- 

  
"Gohan, are you mad?" Goten was sleeping on his right side, facing his brother, but Gohan just stared at the ceiling.   
  
"Yes."   
  
"I'm sorry."   
  
Silence.   
  
"If I haven't delayed you, we probably won't have gotten in trouble. It's my fault we got grounded."   
  
Gohan couldn't sleep at all, and it wasn't because of Vegeta. 

  
--- 

  
I was smiling as I wrote this. Don't you think it's funny? Everytime I try to imagine Gohan's feeling as he feels his stomach dropping, or Trunks's startled express, I can't help but laugh. Oh well, I like writing humor once in a while, but not maintain it throughout the whole story.  
  
As I was writing this story, I felt like I was dropping clues, but they aren't the obvious ones like those you read about in Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys. It's more like inconspicuous clues that's if you can't pay attention to the details, you'll miss them. The unveiling is almost over though. Next comes the action...  
  
Yes, there IS another Vegeta existing in this story, and he has no ki. You'll learn why soon, although I already dropped a clue in this chapter. ^_^   
  
P.S. Ruby, happy birthday!... one day late. There was a lot of birthdays in my life last week. On Tuesday, it was this guy in my chess class, on Wednesday, it was Danielle's, on Thursday, it was this guy in my art class, on Friday, it was Anna's birthday. 


	8. The Past

**My Secret- 8. The Past**  
  
Hanging upside down by his tail, he saw the room lavish in blood red. The draperies all had the identical deep scarlet, while the bedspread had crimson silk with golden trimming.   
  
"Prince Vegeta, will you please get down from that chandelier?" The exasperated woman crossed her arms across her chest. They were truly monkeys.   
  
"You're just a maid." He sneered, "You are in no position to give me orders."   
  
"Pardon my rudeness, your highness, but your father has given me specific instructions to dress you formerly for the dinner in an hour."   
  
"If he just told you to dress me formerly, then I have a choice not to wear that tie. I can't even breathe with it on, how does he expects me to eat with it?"   
  
"I'm sorry, but your mother has chosen your outfit. It is not in my power to argue."   
  
"Then tell her I've made improvements."   
  
"Young Prince, if you do not get down from there now, I shall be left with no choice but to call your mother."   
  
"That tie itches. I don't see why I can't just go without it."   
  
"You've given me no choice. I will be back with your mother. You are to stay here while I'm gone. Is that understood?"   
  
He turned his back on her, and she took that as a "yes". Of course, he had no intention of following her orders, and once she closed the door behind her, he went to open his window. A breeze swept into the room, and his white, translucent curtains began billowing on both sides. The young Vegeta jumped into the breeze playfully, and flew to the heart of the forest before descending, in case any guards happened to be looking out the window and spot him.   
  
He has wandered around aimlessly for few minutes when he heard twigs snap behind him. _You are mine._ He licked his lips in anticipation.   
  
The little Vegeta formed two blue ball of compressed energy into his small palms, and released them at once. He knew he hadn't missed, so he was expecting a roar of a beast. Yet what he heard was a high-pitched shriek of a girl.   
  
Vegeta walked around the trees just in time to see her return the energy balls right back at him! He easily deflects it to the far end of the forest, and where the energy had landed, a black mushroom cloud has risen.   
  
"What do you think you are doing here?"   
  
"I believe that's _my_ line. That almost hit me."   
  
"That was my intention, I believe. Tell me why you were following me."   
  
"I was not following you! I was just... You have no right to question me! How dare you talk to me that way? If my father finds out, he will have your head."   
  
"Is that so? Who do you think you are talking to? I rule over every one of you. _I_ will have his head."   
  
"I don't care who you are. I shall be addressed properly and respectfully."   
  
"That's quite a lot to ask, especially for a trespasser."   
  
"A trespasser...? What are you talking about? You don't own this forest. Nobody owns natural resources. Why not own the sky as well?"   
  
"I do. This whole planet is my property. Everything on this planet belongs to me."   
  
She looked at him, startled. "Who are you?"   
  
"I am Prince Vegeta of Planet Vegeta."   
  
"If you are the prince, then won't that make your father the owner of the planet?"   
  
"True", he smirked, "but not for long. And who might you be?"   
  
"Oh," she smiled mysteriously, "you don't need to know."   
  
"Answer me!"   
  
The young girl, no taller than Vegeta, stifled her giggle. Out of nowhere, a curtain of gold and amber swirled between them, and when all the autumn leaves had cleared from his view, so was she.   
  
"Wha..." Vegeta's jaw dropped open, and his eyes bugged. "Where are you?" He called into the forest, but his only answer was his own question.   


---   


Vegeta's eyes shot open. It was five o' clock. Not trusting the Earthling invention, he had trained his biological clock to tick precisely with the standard time. Vegeta brushed the blanket aside and flung his legs out gently, as to not make Bulma stir. From years of experience, he had learned that Bulma before sunrise was even more dangerous than the fusion of Frieza, Cell, and Buu. The best he could hope for was to have his daytime training time taken over by meaningless tasks like taking out the trash. Tiptoeing to the window in catlike stance, he parted the curtain aside and sliding the glass door just wide enough for him to pass. Once safely standing on the balcony, he tilted his head upwards, observing the dull gray sky with the first ray of sunshine just barely visible behind the tallest of the skyscrapers far away. It was a little darker than yesterday, which meant that winter was just around the corner.   
  
Jumping off the rail in a swift movement, as fast as the years have gone by since he first set his foot upon this soil, Vegeta landed gracefully in front of the gravity room. How long ago was it that he demanded this equipment from the Doctor? He couldn't remember. And as much as he tried to grasp the fading memories of his past, it was trickling away like spring water. But that was all right with him, for he much preferred to live in the present. Unlike many Earthlings, he couldn't share the joy of looking back into his memories and enjoy the foolishness of his young age. He didn't want to live through it all again, all the pain and suffering, yet he refused to let go of them completely. There were still some memories he could bring forth without summoning shame or anger. So is that why, he wondered, she come back last night?   
  
He could remember every fine detail of the dream. _No, it wasn't a dream_, he reminded himself. _It was a memory._ It's been such a long time since I last thought about _her_. Why did his mind suddenly bring that part of his past back? There was no need to ask twice; he knew the answer.   
  
With his mind still in turmoil, Vegeta opened the door to the gravity room, and let himself in, closing the door behind him. Then, before the door could be closed completely, it flung open again, with Trunks flying out, head first.   
  
The junior Saiyan desperately tried to break his fall by his hands, but ended up with jelly arms instead. In the end, his skull took much of the pressure, and Trunks sat on the cold pavement, clutching his pounding head in his numb palms. With tears on the verge of spilling, he looked up, and then quickly looked down again. The paved walkway engraved with small pebbles was much more comforting than the eyes filled with anger, burning in fury and impatience, about to burst out of their sockets. Vegeta released a low, thundering growl to mask his other, softer emotions, and watched in half-regret as Trunks only lowered his head more.   
  
"Trunks," Vegeta finally said sternly, yet somewhat comfortingly. "What were you doing?" Years ago, he would never have dreamed of admitting surprise. _A warrior must always keep his guard up_, were his own words. But now, all those old warrior codes were thrown out the window and quickly replaced by civilized concepts.   
  
"You are his father, and you'll do everything in your power to make sure he doesn't live your life." Bulma had burned that sentence into his heart during Trunks' first three years, and she nearly roasted him alive when she came home from work only to learn that he had allowed Trunks into the Gravity Rom, under 100 times the normal gravity.   
  
Now, it seemed ironic to him that he was kicking the same boy out, but even he knew better than allow Trunks to train at five am on a school day. He has been, after all, a father for more than a decade.   
  
"I was just waiting for you... to train, ya know." The boy looked hopefully at his father.   
  
"Go back to bed."   
  
Trunks raised his eyebrows in alarm. He wasn't expecting to be refused. "But Dad..."   
  
Vegeta gave one last fierce look to silence him, and then wordlessly closed the GR door behind him, leaving Trunks out in the morning chill alone to freeze with only a T-shirt and a short. Vegeta, leaning against the control panel, sighed deeply.   
  
His own hide was worth far above all else. _A man must never walk into a losing battle._ He couldn't have agreed with that philosophy more now, as he tried to imagine the argument with Bulma if he had decided to let Trunks train. _I guess I was only half right_, Vegeta admitted to himself. _There is still some of my old self left. I haven't completely changed._ In a way, that calmed him a bit after the unsettling recollection, but it also unnerved him to think he'll have to face his past again. If he had a choice, he'll rather face Frieza from his past than... than _her_.   


---   


Sorry it took me so long to update! Chapter seven was my last pre-written one, and I couldn't find time to write with my giant Civil War Project _and_ a math project due one after another last week. Over the weekend, I was too busy enjoying the first homework-less weekend in ten years to write, so here it is… finally.   
  
I was really surprised to even get a review during this whole time, but I did get one (from Chipolata). Thank you! I always check my email in the morning at school, so it's always nice to start the day finding out that you got a review. I think that was what help me win today's chess game in my chess class and rank the fifth in the class. ^_^   
  
Okay, I'm sure my life is FASCINATING, but I think you much rather hear me talk about the story. Yes, mushi-azn, I can list all the clues at the end if you want me to. I wrote this in a way so you can figure out the mystery as I go along. It was really funny watching you all trying to solve it. This chapter, I believe, is the last one with any big clues… but then again, I've said the same thing at the end of last chapter, so I might prove myself wrong. Nevertheless, keep looking. The clues are there. It might be easier to spot after I finish writing it, and you know the answer.   
  
Personally, I think the conversation Vegeta had in his dream was kind of cheesy, but I didn't want to change it because it gave some important details about her, and I was afraid if I rewrite it, those details might get lost. 


	9. The Morning After

**My Secret- 9. The Morning After**  
  
Bulma walked into her office, and her knees almost gave away at the sight that met her. On her desk, piled high into the ceiling were letters, reports, documents, and contracts. Just when she thought things couldn't be worse, the phone rang underneath the pile. _Ugh, I'm just going to let my secretary get that_, she though, and dragged her feet over to the mountain of work, slumping heavily on the leather chair.   
  
_Who knew the desk could hold so much stuff?_ It was almost as if an architect was hired to arrange the papers in a way so that they occupy the entire surface without making anything fall on the ground. There wasn't any room left for her even to put a finger. As soon as she got comfortable, however, she realized with a dread that she had to stand up on her chair to reach the top of the pile. Slipping out of her high heels, Bulma steadied herself on top of the rotating chair. Then, her mind worked just a second too late and, where she tried to grab hold of to keep her balance, papers came toppling off the desk, bringing her along.   
  
On the floor in front of her desk, Bulma winced in pain as she tried to get up. A few more steps to gain her footing, and several more crumpling sounds came from beneath her foot. She looked around her, and wished she hadn't.   
  
The whole floor was covered in at least two inches of white. What made it worse, yet, was what she saw on her desk. There was still a good half of the mound on her desk, untouched. _Is it just me, or did the volume increase by themselves?_ She had no time to dwell on the possibilities, for the muffled ringing just a few seconds ago was now a high-pitched shrill. She decided, now that half the papers were already on the floor, that she might as well dig the phone from under the insane pile and answer it.   
  
Holding onto the edge of the desk, she tried to get up, but it was all in vein. It seemed, the more she tried to lift herself up, the heavier her body became. Finally, giving up on standing, she tried to grasp the edge of the desk in one hand and plunged the other one into the stack. _Who cares if the papers got crushed? More than half of them were already covered with my footprints._   
  
Much to her frustration, she just couldn't reach the phone. Yet it was no easy task, keeping grasp of the desk, and she let it go, deciding to rest for a while. As she lay on her back, reality came seeping into her brain.   


  
---   


  
A strip of golden ribbon fell right across Bulma's eyes, blinding her. Still half-a-sleep, Bulma repositioned herself to get into the shadows. From there, she began her painful ordeal to stand on her feet. At every movement, her body cracked in complaint. It took almost three minutes for her to pick herself up and sit on her bedside. Then she finally registered her surrounding. The annoying phone was still ringing on her bedside table. Groaning, she leaned forward and grabbed the phone. Even a task as minor as that caused her muscles to strain and crack.   
  
With half-closed eyes, Bulma struggle to control herself from screaming into the phone. "Hello?"   


  
---   


  
Trunks dejectedly looked out the window, his eyes never leaving the Gravity Room door. He still couldn't understand why he was kicked out. He thought his father would be more than happy to hear him wanting to train at the break of the dawn. At least, that's what his reaction would have been yesterday. With his chin rested upon his overlapping hands and eyes half drooping, Trunks looked like almost sad... almost. _Of course!_ Trunks nodded in understanding, the way he has seen his grandpa do it. _Dad must want to be left alone so he can think about last night. Boy, something must have really gone wrong._   
  
Regaining some of his spirits, he picked up the phone and dialed Goten's number. If his father doesn't want him training today, he might as well take advantage of it. His forlorn features were quick to be replaced by a wide smile, a smile that always held some mischievous plans.   


  
---   


  
"Hello?" A sleepy Chichi grumbled into the phone.   
  
"Obasan? This is Trunks. May I-"   
  
"Oh, how are you, Trunks?" Chichi's demeanor changed at once. Goku woke up when he heard the unfamiliar coldness in his wife's voice.   
  
"Uh... I'm doing fine. May I please-"   
  
Again, Chichi interrupted him in that same emotionless tone. "I'm sorry, but Goten and Gohan is grounded today. They aren't leaving the house, and they are certainly forbidden from any outside contact."   
  
"Oh. Well, how long is he grounded for?"   
  
"For quite some time, I suppose. Maybe six months, maybe a year, or it could even go as long as two years."   
  
_Yikes!_ Trunks thought on the other line. _And I thought I was having a bad morning. Two years!?_ "Uh, I guess I'll call back when... when it's over..." He said uncertainly into the phone, and waited until she hangs up before putting down the receiver.   
  
_Great, now what am I going to do? First thing's first. I've gotta get me breakfast._ With that decided, Trunks raced down the stairs, but screeched to a halt on the last step.   


  
---   


  
Goku stared with his jaw hanging open at Chichi. "_Two years?!_"   
  
Chichi smiled. "I was just joking, that's all."   
  
He relaxed instantly. "That's good. I can't imagine them sitting around the house for two years without training."   
  
"Hey, if you want to give them an easy punishment just so they can train, they can stay grounded for the rest of their life!" Chichi narrowed her eyes dangerously.   
  
"Of course not. They have to um... go to school and... help you with groceries." Goku laughed nervously.   
  
A smile of relief crossed Chichi's face. And then her mouth suddenly opened, along with her eyes bulging. "OH! I almost forgot! Groceries... I have to go shopping today."   
  
Goku looked at her in horror. "You mean we're out of food?"   
  
"Yes, Goku. We're out of food." Then, to herself, she added, _thanks to you_. "Now, Goku, I have to go into the village today, which means I'm leaving you in charge of the house and make sure Goten and Gohan STAY in the house. Can you do that?"   
  
"Uh huh. Sure. Whatever. Just make sure you get that rice cake thingie again."   
  
Chichi sighed. A wise decision it will be to not trust him, but she didn't want to bother Bulma. _So who else is there? 18? Launch?_ Neither of the choices sounded appealing. Although 18 was good as a friend, Chichi couldn't bring herself to trust with her children. And Launch... well, she was just out of question. What if she sneezes? She didn't even consider the guys.   
  
"Now remember, Goku," Two hours later, Chichi stood by the door, all dressed up in her usual traditional dress, giving Goku specific instructions before she took off. Why she was even bothering with this, knowing very well that he's not going to listen to a word she says, she had no idea. "Goten and Gohan must NOT leave the house, understood? They can't get the phone, and they can't have friends over. When they wake up, they can have their breakfast. For lunch, I've left a note for Gohan on the kitchen table. The refrigerator and the pantry is off-limit for you, okay?"   
  
Whether any of this information went into Goku's head was a mystery. All he did was nod, and when she stopped talking, he said, "Don't worry, Chichi. You can count on me."   
  
After she closed the door behind her, Chichi sighed hopelessly at the amber sky. _Goku, that's exactly what I can't do._   


  
---   


  
Three hours of pure training, Vegeta started his stroll back to the house, in search of breakfast. As he reached the back door, a wave of danger drenched over him completely, stopping him in his tracks. _WHAT was that??_ He searched around him using his ki, but there was nothing near. _It must have been my imagination._ Slowly, he pushed aside the thought and the glass door leading to the kitchen at the same time. When he looked up, another sudden wave washed over him at the same time Bulma trotted into the room in her navy business suit.   
  
"Oh, hi Vegeta. Sorry, I'm in a rush. Your breakfast in on the table."   
  
"Where are you going?" Thousand alarms went off in his head, and he ignored them all.   
  
"Coconut Island. I have to pick up some important papers. I should be back by noon." With that, Bulma kissed Vegeta lightly on his cheek.   
  
It was one of those few times when Vegeta was taken off guard. By the time he turned around, she was already out the door he just walked in and running towards her air car, her high heel clicking all the way across the stone pavement. "Watch your back, woman." Vegeta whispered under his breath more to himself than her.   


  
---   


  
From the second to the last step on the stairs, Trunks saw the whole encounter, even the kiss. Now he was confused more than ever. His parents are talking to each other without yelling their head off, and he accepted that as a good sign. For what, he had no idea. Trunks, thinking smartly, waited few minutes before walking into the kitchen yawning.   
  
"'Morning, Dad. Where's Mom?"   
  
"Out."   
  
"Oh. What's for breakfast?"   
  
"This."   
  
Trunks followed his father's finger and saw the table overflowing in- "Pancakes!" His eyes lit up in delight.   
  
Vegeta, looking at his son's joy, couldn't help but smile inside to himself.   
  
The two soon began their father-son food-eating contest.   
  
"Dad, can I take a break from training today?" Trunks said, trying to swallow five pancakes at the same time. _So you can think about whatever that's bothering you_, he wanted to add, but smartly kept to himself.   
  
Vegeta looked at him once, and then nodded. Apparently, the silent message got across somehow.   
  
"So," Trunks said casually after cramming another seven pancakes in his mouth. "How did it go last night?"   
  
"Don't talk while eating. You don't want to end up like Kakarot and his sons." No doubt he saw thought this one as well. Trunks was hoping against hope that this time, just this time, he'll be able to get straight answers. No such luck.   
  
And those were the last words Trunks got before Vegeta went back to training, while Trunks was left stuck with nothing to do. He slumped in the couch and began surfing through his channels.   


  
---   


  
The leaves are starting to change color, Bulma noted. She really should have asked Vegeta to take her to Papaya Island. It sure beats driving down the deserted road for an hour and a half.   
  
Both sides of the road were lined with trees, trees, and more trees. Maple trees of all height and color, each with its own distinguished shape. Like people, some were wide and some where skinny and tall, but when she looked further down the road, they all blended into one single wall of gold, amber, and lavender. From above, it was almost like a natural carpet.   
  
Yet Bulma cared little about nature. She had way too much to do to worry about what kind of birds will be singing in the morning. As far as she knew, the only bird she has ever thought twice about were crows, when she was trying to figure out how to lure them away from her house.   
  
Quickly wearing out of patience, Bulma turned on the radio. She usually kept it off so she can think, but today, one thing particular warning kept popping into her head, and she'd rather listen to the news than the mysterious warning that gave her more chills than she wanted. _Vegeta, why on Earth did you decided to worry about me today of all days?   
  
"And now, let's go back to the station. Maeda-san?"   
  
"Hai. We have just gotten a missing child report from our West City headquarters. It appears that a young boy, age eight, pale cerulean hair and light brown eyes, wearing glasses, were last seen near the foot of Mount Paozu. According to the report, the boy was hiking with his family when he ran off into the woods and disappeared. If anyone has any information, please call...."_   
  
Bulma turned the volume down to zero. Stupid. What parent would be stupid enough to loose a child while hiking anyway? What had the world been turned into, reporting missing children instead of stocks like they are suppose to?   
  
Involuntarily, however, Bulma found her eyes flickering to her side mirror. _See_, she found herself thinking and then breathing a sigh of relief. _No boy here._ But what she saw in her mirror made the missing boy a minor event. A figure was flying behind her car. At first, she grew nervous, remembering Vegeta's warning. Then, as the figure drew closer, Bulma relaxed. It was only Vegeta.   
  
_Stupid Vegeta! You gave me a heart attack!_   
  
Behind the flying car, Vegeta saw Bulma relax entirely, and a smirk crept into his features. In a burst of speed, he moved in front of the car and charged at the blue-haired beauty.   


  
---   


  
Bulma floored the stop pedal hard, but it was too late. She watched in horror as the car sped out of control towards the figure, which no longer resembled the prince she loved. A second later, she totally forgot about her fear of running the person over. Rather, she was more afraid for herself, when the figure, instead of moving out of the way, charged right through the windshield and made a grab for her. The last thing Bulma heard before drifting into unconsciousness was her own, high-pitched, glass-breaking shriek.   


  
---   


  
^_______^ Sorry. I know I've written a lot of cliffhangers (almost on every chapter?), but I think this one's the worst. I know I shouldn't have ended there, but I felt that the story has been kinda dead lately, and I thought the last scene would give it some life. After all, it's the climax.   
  
The story finally gained a heartbeat. The action has started! I have a feeling this story is going to turn into another twelve-chapter fic. Why are all my fic ALWAYS twelve chapters? The big mystery will be revealed soon. I'm almost sad to see this finished. I had a fabulous time writing this mystery. I love dropping clues! Naturally, it won't be the last time I'll write a mystery. I already got an inspiration a while back for another one, but I still need to work on the plot more.   
  
For the first time, I used Japanese words in my story. The reason: I didn't know what they usually say in English. What DO reporters say when they switch scenes from one to another? I only know it in Japanese because that's one of the dwindling memories I still have in my mind about Japan. Oh, how I miss those days... The good news is that I'm going back to Japan this summer. I'm already getting excited. I can finally see things that I missed when I was nine, like manga and anime. Yes, I wasn't a normal nine-year-old back then. All I cared about was schoolwork, as sad as that is.   
  
**Continue reading this side note only if you are really, really bored...**   
By the way, has anyone ever read _Counterfeit Detective_? It's a children's mystery book. Two days ago, the author of that book came to our school for Career Day, and I got to hear his speech about being an author. It was very inspiring, even if he wasn't the best presenter out of the three presenters I listened to. In fact, his speech was kind of lame, but the information he gave was quite interesting. I got a lot of my questions answered about writing that I've been wondering for a while. Despite the fact that he's not J.K. Rowling, I felt very fortunate. It's not everyday you get to talk to someone who've actually published a book, you know! 


	10. Vegeta II

**My Secret- 10. Vegeta II**  
  
Back in the Capsule Corps family room, Trunks laid sideways on the brown leather sofa, with one arm across his chest and the other one scraping the carpet, while the Spongebob theme song began playing on the television.   
  
_Oh, who lives in a pineapple house under the sea?   
  
Spongebob Squarepants!_   
  
Even at its blaring volume, Trunks slept soundly, oblivious to everything around him. That was, until the phone in the kitchen rang. He, who has been so deep in his sleep like nothing could ever wake him up, suddenly jolted upright on the second ring. It took another round of rings for him to realize he was no longer sparring with Goten in his dream, and by the fourth ring, he picked himself up and stumbled into the kitchen on his half-asleep legs to answer the phone.   
  
"Hello?"   
  
"..."   
  
"Hello? Who is this?"   
  
"Trunks? Wow, it actually worked!"   
  
"..." Trunks looked quizzically at the receiver. _Who in the world..._   
  
"Oh, sorry, this is Goku." Trunks rolled his eyes. _Figures._ "Chichi's out, and I wanted to call your house, but I didn't know the number so I pushed on the redial button."   
  
"Great. So why did you want to call me?"   
  
"Oh that's right. Can I speak to your father?"   
  
"Dad? Um... I'm not so sure. He's not in the best of his moods today, and he's in the middle of training."   
  
On the other end, Goku raised his eyebrows. "And you're not? Training with him, I mean."   
  
"No. Dad kicked me out today. And Goten just happens to get himself grounded as well. This sucks."   
  
"Oh yeah, that's too bad. Listen. Tell your dad that this is important... Tell him it's about your mother."   
  
"Mom?! What happened to her?" Then, after a while, added, "I don't sense anything wrong with her ki."   
  
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's nothing. I just wanted to talk to your dad."   
  
"Oh... okay. Hold on."   
  
Trunks, nearly ripping the glass doors apart, dashed to the GR and flung the door open. A stunning sight that met him almost hurled him back down the steps. The phone fell out of Trunks' grip and landed noisily on the cement floor.   
  
"Dad?"   
  
Vegeta was suspended in mid-air, his spine arched backwards like he has been shocked by a lightening or some sort of high-voltage electricity. His eyes were dull and lifeless, like his mind was possessed by an alien force. 

  
--- 

  
Just minutes ago, Vegeta has been fiercely training as always. Under 300 G Force when that same, unnerving wave crashing into him. The force felt like a real wave, but there was no water. Then he heard it. First faint and distant, the piercing shriek penetrated his skin and electrocuted his spine with force and speed even he hadn't expected. 

  
--- 

  
"Dad!"   
  
The room echoed the word back into Trunks' ears, and then all fell silent again.   
  
"DAD!" Trunks, just this one time only, would admit panic. He was scared, not for himself, but for his father. He jumped into the air, which no longer had any G-Forces after he opened the door, and shook his father's hands violently.   
  
Vegeta let out a grunt. He looked down at his side to find his son grasping his hand tightly, eyes full of relief.   
  
"Are you okay, Dad?" Without a single word, Vegeta powered up and shot out of the Gravity Room, leaving Trunks to stare out in bewilderment.   
  
When Vegeta flew out the door with his maximum speed, the forgotten phone lifted into air, narrowly missing the top of the doorframe, and only Trunks' quick thinking saved it from crashing into the cement floor again.   
  
He studied the phone in his palm for a few moments, trying to remember what it was doing on the floor. His father's sudden mood swings totally blew all his other thoughts away. "Trunks? Trunks?!" The phone shouted.   
  
"Oh, sorry." Now everything came back to him. "I was just um... preoccupied."   
  
"Oh that's okay. But what _was_ that, that high pitched squeak just a second ago?"   
  
"Uh, I think that's from the changes in air pressure."   
  
"Air what?"   
  
"Nothing. Never mind." Trunks rushed on. "Dad is busy right now. I've got to go. Sorry. Bye." Without waiting for reply, he shut off the phone and blasted out of the gravity room, following his father. 

  
--- 

  
The golden sun was fast sinking by the time Trunks spotted his father yonder, and he rushed forward.   
  
"Go home." Vegeta growled without even looking at him.   
  
Trunks stared straight ahead as well, avoiding eye contact. "Dad, I can't just sit around the house while Mom could be in danger."   
  
"She's not."   
  
"But she is! Ojisan told me so!"   
  
"I told you never to trust that fool."   
  
"But he never lied..." Trunks said uncertainly. He wasn't sure if talking back was the best option right then.   
  
"You should never listen to an Earthling... besides your mother."   
  
"Ojisan isn't an Earthling. He's one of us."   
  
Vegeta shot him a deadly glare that, even without looking, Trunks felt though his temple. "Kakarot was raised by the Earthling ways. Therefore, he has became an Earthling, regardless of his blood."   
  
"Besides, I can't feel her ki either."   
  
Silence filled between them for a while. Then, Vegeta spoke again.   
  
"Your mother is safe. You best go back home."   
  
"But... what if she isn't? How are you going to protect her and fight the bad guy at the same time?"   
  
"She's fine. She's in good hands."   
  
"How do you know? Do you know who's masking her ki? Huh?"   
  
"You let me worry about her. Go back home. If... if what you say about Kakarot is true, then he's probably already at our front door. Son, you must keep him from going anywhere." Vegeta gave a stern look, and Trunks nodded in understanding the silent message. "I don't want anyone else involved. This is between your mother and me." Vegeta watched Trunks turn around and fly back, a mix of confidence and worry in his eyes. 

  
--- 

  
"Darn! I just wish I could go over to Bulma's house right now! This suspense is killing me."   
  
"Dad, you know Vegeta won't sit still if Bulma's in danger." Gohan said, trying desperately to calm his frustrated father.   
  
Goku stopped and looked at his two sons, and resumed his pace around the kitchen table again. "That's exactly what I fear he'll do. I can't even sense Bulma. How is he going to, when he's busy concentrating on training? Darn. I just wish Chichi was here right now so I'm not bound to this house."   
  
"Dad, I'm hungry." Goten's stomach rambled in agreement.   
  
Goku's mood brightened immediately. "Okay, let's eat!"   
  
"Then I guess I'll fix up dinner." Gohan called, already digging inside the refrigerator, when several weak knocks came from the door.   
  
Goku looked from to Goten's puzzled face to Gohan's bewildered one, and he knew neither of them was expecting this visitor. He walked over to the front door. There, standing in torn clothes from which blood seeped out and various branches sticking up from his light blue hair was a boy around age eight.   
  
"Hello. You look like you're in pretty bad shape." Goku looked at the legs and arms full of scratches.   
  
Fear was evident in the little boy's eyes. He looked up at the towering man, and the two faces peeking behind him. "I... I'm sorry to bother you." He bowed in apology. "I got lost, you see... and I think... I think my-" Before he could finish his sentence, the boy fell into Goku's arms, unconscious. 

  
--- 

  
Bulma woke up with painful, jagged rocks stabbing her back. The beautiful azure sky this morning has been replaced by a bloody, scarlet sunset. Her back ached terribly. _What happened?_ She looked to her left and right to discover both of her wrists being held to the cliff wall with some sort of energy bond, and she guessed there was a similar thing around her neck. Her clothes looked to be in good condition, except for the few cuts made by the flying glass of her car's windshield. There were some bloodstain on her sleeves, but they were all dried up. When she looked down, her stomach did a summersault. There was, literally, nothing below her except darkness. Then, she saw the identical yellow bands across her ankles.   
  
That's when it finally hit her, that she was suspended midair with only those rings to hold her from dropping into the bottomless crevice. Bulma yelled frantically, hoping against hope that someone was around, but there was only the dry, crimson, sedimentary rocks surrounding her. Looks like she was in a canyon.   
  
_I'm going to die._ Fear was wiggling up her spine like slimy worms. _I'm going to die, and no one will ever find my corpse._ She yelled even louder.   
  
"Help! Someone, help me!"   
  
"Now," a deep crackling voice echoed though the rock walls. "Don't be so scared. You are merely my bait."   
  
Bulma looked around, startled. Suddenly, Vegeta materialized in front of her. With the most horrifying smirk. Bulma gaped.   
  
"Y... you aren't Vegeta." The scary movie played back in her head. She saw herself scream as the figure charged towards her, though the windshield. Later, she remembered the same figure, carrying her, flying though the sky in unbelievable speed to this spot, and bounded her to the canyon wall. And that same figure stood in front of her right now. Of course, how she knew this was beyond her understanding, for she, no doubt, fell unconscious right after the car incident. "You are an imposer."   
  
"Well, it looks like you figured it out at last, Bulma." The fake Vegeta, glowing in bright green light, soon lost his flaming hair and piercing obsidian eyes. His sharp features were gone, replaced by a feminine face of a young girl. She had shimmering emerald eyes and soft chocolate brown locks. The last face you'll expect to see on a kidnapper. 

  
--- 

  
At last, the second Vegeta is revealed. Now it might be easier to see the clues I dropped earlier, doesn't it?   
  
Sorry it took so long to update. I'm trying to translate my personal site and some lyrics into Japanese, and they take so long. On top of that, I can't use the computer after 8:30pm; so that gives me even less time to get everything done. Nevertheless, I'm going to finish this before I leave for Japan this summer, and that's near the end of June. I will never even think about abandoning it. I know how the feeling too well when an author starts a story and never finishes it.   
  
And this year, I've had first-hand experience on finals. I'm not yet in high school, but since I'm taking a high school class, I had to take the math final. It was mostly easy except for the factoring problems. The reality of finals has struck me pretty hard. I'm still having hard time imagining having to take it for every class for the next eight years. I mean, I have taken finals before, but they never took more than 45 minutes, and certainly not created by the district. My math teacher told me it's going to go in my permanent file. I barely finished checking my answers… 


	11. The Unexpected Visitor

**My Secret- 11. The Unexpected Visitor**  
  
Goten looked over his father's shoulder. "Dad, is he okay?"   
  
"I think so. Maybe he just passed out from exhaustion. It looks like he went though a lot."   
  
Gohan studied the boy carefully, and his sharp eyes caught something. "Dad! Quick, we have to get him inside."   
  
"Huh? Why?"   
  
Without answering, Gohan picked the unconscious body and very delicately, laid him on the family room floor. Goten and Goku hovered near, watching curiously.   
  
"What's the matter?"   
  
"His ankle."   
  
Goku and Goten shifted their eyes to the boy's ankle, which was beginning to darken.   
  
"He might have sprained it."   
  
Suddenly, as if he was trying to answer, the boy stirred and coughed up some blood, then fell back into unconsciousness.   
  
"Eww, that's disgus-" Goten was sharply cut off by a yell from the front door.   
  
"Goku!" The sound of groceries dropping and fruits rolling about the wooden floor spoke by themselves.   
  
Both pair of eyes went to their father. Gohan was busy tending to the boy to look up. "Dad, I think you better go explain to Mom-"   
  
"No need! I'm here." Chichi glanced at her sons sitting on the floor, and then shot a killing look to Goku.   
  
"GOKU!" She yanked his shirt collar. "What is this?! I come home, and the front door is wide open! The refrigerator isn't closed! And what do I see here instead of dinner?! Do you have any idea what time it is? It's past six o'clock!"   
  
"Chichi, we were just doing that. And we got a visitor-"   
  
"I SAID NO VISITORS!!"   
  
"I know, but... but the boy was hurt. See," Chichi's narrow slits of eyes darted to the ground, and it softened immediately.   
  
"Oh my goodness, is he alright? What happened?" She knelt besides Gohan and felt his forehead.   
  
"We don't know Mom. He just near collapsed on our doorstep. From the looks of it though, he has at least a sprained ankle and maybe something more."   
  
Chichi quickly took control, and drove everyone out of the room. Goku and Goten was only happy to oblige, knowing they can have their dinner if nothing else, but Gohan lingered in the doorway, unsure whether to eat or stay and help tend the wounds.   
  
Chichi looked over at Gohan, and spoke softly. "Go on. I'll be fine."   
  
He nodded lightly and went back into the kitchen. 

  
--- 

  
Bulma glared at her. "Who are you?"   
  
The girl just smiled, the mysterious kind usually reserved for teasing, except there was no humor now. Silently, her long pale fingers reached for the tsukemono. Gently caressing the surface, she sighed and let it hung loose again. When she looked up, Bulma's intense gaze met hers, and she smiled meekly.   
  
"My name is Rye. I'm... someone from Vegeta's past. I guess you've already figured out most of it by now. You're so smart." There was no bitterness embedded within those words. She stated them as if surrendering.   
  
"Well, there's still some things I don't understand, but I think I figured out most of it. You came to Earth, hoping to reunite with Vegeta again, but you realized he already has me. You were jealous, but I can tell you aren't the type to act blindly, so you decided to investigate some more by pretending to be Vegeta. When you got all the information you needed, you kidnapped me, trying to use me as your bait to get to Vegeta. But I'm going to tell you one thing, Rye. Vegeta isn't the kind to care about me like that. He protects me, but that's about all he does. He's not going to care that I go disappearing as long as there's food in the refrigerator. Most likely he's training right now, oblivious to all of this."   
  
Now it was Rye's turn to gape. "How could you?" She asked, softly, almost silently, with astonishment. Then, her face flushed angrily, she snapped. "HOW COULD YOU? How DARE you think of Vegeta like that! You know nothing about him!"   
  
Bulma sneered. "So your plan backfired. You should have known him better than that."   
  
Rye moved closer, her face twisted in fury, just inches away from Bulma's. With an icy whisper, she said, "You're right. I do know him better than that. And I thought you were smart. Bulma, do you see this?" She shoved the diamond necklace in her face. "Can you still look at this and say he doesn't care about you?"   
  
Bulma stared back, stone faced.   
  
There was high tension for a while, and then Rye smiled. "Oh I see. You were just trying to get me mad, weren't you? Clever little thing. You were hoping to stall me to give Vegeta more time. Is that it?"   
  
Bulma's face revealed nothing, but her silence answered all.   
  
"I guess your plan backfired. After all, I'm not one of those brainless girls. Won't you expect me to know Vegeta'll be close behind if I lay my hands on you, hmm? I'm counting on him to come here. That was the only way to lure him away from all the others."   
  
"That's where you're wrong. Vegeta won't be the only one sensing my ki."   
  
"Now you have underestimated me again. I know all about sensing ki's. That's why I took the liberty of masking your weak one with my own. Apparently your friend Goku can't sense my energy signal because I don't have any physical strength. You see, my strength lies in my mental abilities." She smiled proudly.   
  
"Then... then your plan doesn't work. If Goku can't sense my energy, then Vegeta certainly won't."   
  
"Nuh uh ah." Rye held the tsukemono by its string and dangled it in front of Bulma. "You see this? I'm afraid I forgot few minor details last night. Not only does it form a shield, it also acts as a locator for Vegeta. All he has to do is follow his instinct and his subconscious would lead him straight to you."   
  
"And what are you planning to do to him once he gets here?"   
  
A smile tugged at one corner of her mouth and she tauntingly whispered, "I think that's between Vegeta and me, don't you think?"   
  
Then, back to her normal self, she added, "I'm not here to destroy what's between you and Vegeta. I'm just here to claim what I rightfully deserve: an explanation. That's why I had to do use you." Rye gave a sheepish grin. "I actually wasn't planning to put my plan into action until tomorrow, but I made fatal mistake. I told you about the tsukemono. I knew, with Vegeta's suspicions that I couldn't wait. And then, while watching your dream, I got an idea. Didn't it ever occurred to you as odd that you had to drive on a deserted road?"   
  
"You mean you were the one who made the phone call? To tell me I had to drive over to Papaya Island personally instead of asking for a delivery?"   
  
Rye's grin deepened.   
  
"But why?"   
  
"That's exactly what I wanted to know myself. I had to find out, Bulma. I don't care about what happened, but I need to know why. Why he left me."   
  
"Because," a familiar voice sharply sliced through the rocks," I thought you were dead." 

  
--- 

  
You might think this mystery's going a bit slow, but I wanted to reveal it little by little. Last chapter, you learned the identity, now you know the motive. Next, we'll see what happens once Rye finally meets Vegeta, face to face. Notice, there's still one mystery I haven't touched yet. As I promised, all the mystery will be solved by the time I finish, so you can expect it to show up soon. Ah, if you have no clue what I'm talking about, keep reading.   
  
Let's see… I'm grateful for all the reviews, but I have a favor to ask all of you. When you tell me that you're confused, it'll help me a lot to tell me EXACTLY where you're confused. Or am I just asking for too much here? Sometimes, I put out the results first and then explain how it happened later, and if that's what confuses you, then that's okay because you're SUPPOSE to be confused, but if I write a dialogue, and you can't figure out who said it, then that's my fault. Yet I won't know that unless you tell me so. Does this paragraph make sense at all? I hope so. ^_^   
  
I think many of you are exasperated with my update rate. Now that school's over, I'll try to have one chapter at least once every week. I WILL finish this before July. Did I write that clear enough? This story will be completed by June 30. At least, that's my goal. 


	12. The Unexpected Visitor aka Weth

**My Secret- 12. The Unexpected Visitor aka Weth**  
  
"Because," the familiar voice sliced sharply through the rocks, "I thought you were dead."   
  
Rye stood frozen, shocked, while Vegeta came down to eye level with the two girls. He looked at Bulma, but said nothing. There was no need. Bulma read Vegeta's question in his eyes, and she had reassured him that she was fine. He focused his attention on Rye instead.   
  
"Release her."   
  
Whatever shocked her was gone now, when she answered firmly, "No."   
  
Vegeta's eyes narrowed.   
  
"Not until I get my answer."   
  
"He already told you! He thought you were dead!" Bulma yelled just as firmly back. Vegeta placed a restraining hand on her shoulder, silencing her.   
  
"Rye, what do you want me to say? Radditz was sent on a purging mission near Namek, that planet you were headed for, so he stoped by and heard that you died."   
  
Although her emotions were ripping her apart in her soul, she kept her posture. "So he did. Frieza was following my trail. I had to fake my furneral."   
  
His eyes showed surprise, but he said nothing about it. "Then. Why are you blaming me?!" Vegeta answered, his every word drenched in cold anger and bitter hatred. Not a trace of shame or regret.   
  
"I thought you would have followed your heart." She admitted quietly.   
  
"I've got no patience for sentimental rubbish."   
  
"That doesn't matter. You PROMISED me you were going to find me later. Why didn't you come? I waited decades for you! And... and when I heard Frieza was killed, I came out of hiding to look for you... and then... and then I find you already forgotten about me!" She could no longer hold her emotion, and tears blurred her eyes.   
  
"Rye," Vegeta talked more softly now, his face asking for her to listen, to accept his explanation. "I told Frieza that I killed you... to escape punishment. What do you think he would have done if he learned I was chasing after a cadaver?"   
  
Bulma looked at Vegeta, and then at Rye, and back to Vegeta. She had never seen this side of him. She was confused, and Bulma was not the one to be left in the dark. "Do you mind filling me in on what you are talking about?"   
  
Vegeta looked away, but Rye smiled through tears and nodded. "Of course, Bulma. I think you have every right to know this." Vegeta looked at her like she'd gone crazy, but that went ignored.   
  
Rye searched through Bulma's mind, trying to determine how much she already knew. "This is going to be one long story. Okay, you already know Vegeta was once Frieza's slave, but I'm amazed that he never spoke a word about me. We all served Frieza together... Vegeta, Radditz, Nappa and me, although I didn't go on as many purging mission as they did, I was forced to worked just as much and sometimes even more than they were. I was strictly kept around the ship because of my ingenuity. Frieza wanted the newest technology. Then... something happened one day. It's quite a long story."   
  
"I don't think I'm going anywhere soon." There was a small trace of distaste, but Rye heed no attention. 

  
--- 

  
Chichi sat by the boy, who was now sleeping peacefully on the couch. His leg has been bandaged and he had on Goten's old yet clean, crisp clothes. There were so many questions, so many things she should be doing, but she figured as long as he was asleep, nothing could be done. As if on cue, the body twitched a little and he sat up, dazed.   
  
"You're finally awake." Her words filled with relief.   
  
"Huh? Who are you? Where am I?"   
  
"I'm Chichi. My boys found you on our doorstep, or so they say." She smiled warmly.   
  
The boy perhaps sensed he was in safe hands, for he asked for food.   
  
"Of course. You must be famished." Then, she summoned Gohan to get some food, and he brought back two shares: one for her, and one for the boy.   
  
Despite his age and size, the little boy ate ferociously, as if he hadn't eaten for the whole day, and he probably hasn't.   
  
"So," Gohan asked impatiently, "what's your name?"   
  
"Weth."   
  
"More importantly, where's your parents, Weth?" Chichi demanded.   
  
"I... don't know. I lost them."   
  
"How?" Gohan asked symphathetically.   
  
"We were camping, but this morning, before they were up, I spotted a deer, and I was chasing it. Then... then it ran off into the bushes, and I couldn't find him, but then while I was searching in the bushes, I found an angry bear!"   
  
Chichi gasped.   
  
"It chased me, up and down and around and around. I was scared. I didn't look where I was going, but I was too afraid to stop and look. I just kept running. Then my foot slipped, and I lost balance. I rolled down the mountain."   
  
By now, Goten and Goku has also walked into the family room. Goten stared at him wide eyed and fascinated. "Cool. You got chased by a bear? We've gotten chased by a dinosaur before, Trunks and I. That was awesome."   
  
It was quite obvious Chichi did not approve of the tone of voice, but said nothing of it. The boy stared back with even wider eyes of fear.   
  
"Well, I must say, you were very brave for a young boy." Gohan stated.   
  
"Hmph. Brave, yes, but also foolish. I bet your parents are worried SICK about you by now!" Chichi said sternly. "That also explains your tattered clothing and twisted ankle. Tomorrow morning, we'll go look for you parents, okay?"   
  
The boy could only nod. He wasn't used to being spoke so harshly.   
  
"Okay?" Chichi repeated more forcefully to the boys, particularly Goku, and they, too, all nodded. With a sweeping glance, she gathered up the dishes and went to tidy the kitchen.   
  
Once she was out of hearing range, Gohan patted his shoulders. "Don't worry about it. Mom could be strict sometimes, but she's really nice."   
  
"Uh huh." Weth nodded, unconvinced.   
  
"Hey, Weth, maybe we should call your parents? To let them know you're okay. Do you know your phone number?" Gohan asked.   
  
"Ummm... I don't think... they've noticed."   
  
All six eyebrows rose six inches.   
  
"Why not?" Even Goku knew that shouldn't be so.   
  
"My parents have..." He stared down at the small hole on the sofa. "I just don't think it's a good idea."   
  
"Are you sure?"   
  
He nodded firmly.   
  
"Alright. We can just wait until tomorrow." Gohan and Goku bid good night, and they went upstairs. 

  
--- 

  
"Gohan, why do you think he hesitated like that?" Goku asked once upstairs.   
  
"His family must have some sort of problems."   
  
"Problems? What do you mean?"   
  
Gohan shrugged. "Divorce? I don't know. For all we know, that boy may have been abandoned."   
  
Goku's eyes opened wide, so wide that the eyeballs could roll off any minute. "ABANDONED!"   
  
"Shuuu!" Gohan hissed. "Dad, don't talk so loud!"   
  
"Sorry, sorry." He scrached his head sheepishly in the famous Goku style.   
  
"Besides, it's rude to talk about other family's problems. It's none of our business."   
  
"That's sad. Who'll abandon their own child?" 

  
--- 

  
"And... why had Vegeta never told me this?" Bulma looked sharply at him after hearing the painful story that shredded her heart just by listening.   
  
Rye stared at him, too, although she had a pretty good idea why. Vegeta knew he should turn around, and he did so, relunctantly. The two pair of eyes were more than intense, glaring against his temple.   
  
"Rye, you have no right blaming me for this. I didn't have any choice in this matter, and now that I finally do, I choose to live my life without you. Besides," he sneered, "you don't need me anymore. You just want this." 

  
--- 

  
Woah! What does Vegeta mean by "this"?! You'll just have to wait... which shouldn't be too long. Heh heh, the plot just gets thicker when you thought it'll be over soon, didn't you? I've got some news that might startle you. I, myself, thought it was going to be over soon, but I got an inspiration at the last possible moment. I was going to update on Wednesday, but I forgot, and now I'm glad I didn't. You see, I made a HUGE decision today, one that could turn the ending 180 degrees around.   
  
Originally, I planned to write out the past as Rye is telling Bulma, but I decided against it. Instead, I'm going to post it as the prequel to this story, under the title "My Destiny". Although most of it is already finished, I feel that if it's to stand as an independent story, then I have to add more to the ending, and right now, I can't afford to waste any time, because I made a promise to finish this story before the end of this month, and I'm planning to keep that promise.   
  
Finally, I'm glad you think my story "rocks", Willow. Teehee, that's such a cool word. I can't stop saying it. And I was just browsing the fanfiction archive, when I noticed something. If you search up Bulma and Vegeta, there's 46 pages of it, but if you search up Vegeta and Bulma, there's only 14 pages! There's no difference between the two, is there? 


	13. All Hopes Lost

**My Secret- 13. All Hopes Lost**  
  
"Rye, you have no right blaming me for this. I didn't have any choice in this matter, and now that I finally do, I choose to live my life without you. Besides," he sneered, "you don't need me anymore. You just want this."   
  
Rye stared fiercely at the tsukemono Vegeta held in between his fingers, dangling irresistibly in front of her face. She released a low growl, at which Vegeta laughed.   
  
"It should have been mine. You promised to protect me forever!"   
  
Vegeta continue to laugh in her face. "Oh, so I _promised_, huh? Well, I tell you one thing. YOU sure haven't been keeping YOUR promise!"   
  
"Wh... What do you mean?" She took a step back. _Had he...? But how?_   
  
"Yes, Rye, _how_?" He chuckled evilly, letting the word 'how' roll off his tongue. Bulma stared in utter disbelief. Is the old, heartless Vegeta back?   
  
"For a minute there, you had me fooled. Pretty sly, Ryetherina."   
  
For the first time in twenty-five years, Vegeta saw true horror, the look he used to see often before blasting them into smithereens. This was too much. He could feel his old wounds opening, but he didn't try to stop them. He'll give himself this one exception. She deserved it.   
  
"Rye, we have both changed. I have gone west and you have gone north. If that was our only difference, then that was acceptable, yet it isn't. I've become stronger, both emotionally and physically, and you, you have turned into a pathetic coward. You are no longer worthy of my presence."   
  
"I don't understand, Vegeta." She pleaded.   
  
"Alright then. I'll make you understand. I was on Planet Namek. I was there many years ago on a mission. Then I remembered you. I allowed myself to stray from the original purpose for a just a little while, but what do I find instead?"   
  
Rye gulped. She knew what he saw. Bulma was listening to Vegeta's side with more interest. After all, this latest news surprised her. She had no idea Vegeta even allowed the Dragonballs off his mind for one minute.   
  
"I saw YOU have went on without me. Needless to say, I chose to live forward as well, burying you and the rest of the past deep in the graveyards."   
  
"No Vegeta, you have to understand! Please!"   
  
"Oh I understand all right. Don't get me wrong, Rye. I'm not a bit sorry at what happened. You had your life and I had mine. I knew from the start it wasn't going to ever cross again," he stated like he was reporting the stock market action. Absolutely no emotion attached.   
  
"No! He was just a one-time thing. I still love you, Vegeta. I really do."   
  
"Do you love me, or the tsukemono?" He asked coldly.   
  
Rye hung her head.   
  
"Excuse me, but have I suddenly became invisible?! My arms are falling asleep here!" Bulma spoke up, irritated. "I mean, I know you're having a fabulous reunion and all, but I'll rather have something to eat while watching this soap opera. I'll have you know I haven't eaten ANYTHING since breakfast twelve hours ago!"   
  
"Woman, for someone who hasn't eaten for twelve hours, your mouth sure has enough energy to run ten miles." He chuckled, and then sent a death glare at Rye, a signal that meant 'release her or else'.   
  
"I'm sorry, Bulma, but if there's one thing I learned from you humans, it's that desperate times call for desperate measure. I hate to do this, but I have no choice."   
  
"Oh cut the nice act already. It's way past the point to give you any trusts."   
  
"Very well." She smirked, her face twisted in an identical smirk Vegeta always wore. "Hand over the tsukemono."   
  
"WHAT!" The two said in unison.   
  
Her smirk grew deeper, truly enjoying this new power. "You give me what I want, and I give you want I want. You want to be freed, and I want your tsukemono."   
  
"No way!" Bulma screamed. "I will never! I don't need your help! Vegeta, free me now."   
  
"Hmmhmmhmm... quite shallow, aren't you? Don't you think Vegeta has already tried that? No one can break MY energy bonds, because the power source is my mental strength, and that's..." Her face darkened against the twilight.   
  
"Unmatchable."   
  
"But Rye, you told me yourself that this amulet is useless in anyone else's hand but the given one. What good will it be to you?"   
  
"Bulma, that would be my concern, won't it?"   
  
She was the least bit satisfied with Rye's answer, and she was going to ask more, but Vegeta silenced her with his finger. _Keep your anger in tact_, he instructed. But she could not. How dare he tell her to keep calm when he's the one who's been blowing up like a volcano all evening! She was tired of getting told to shut her mouth. She was tired of being shielded from the raw truth. In fact, she was beyond furious for being forced to listen quietly to their discussion that made had neither distinct head nor tail while she was practically hanging by her neck.   
  
And in a stunning display of light, Bulma's inner self-exploded, emitting a blinding flash of yellow. It was now Vegeta's turn to smirk, as he dived to catch Bulma, who was nose-diving off the canyon wall.   
  
Rye stood speechless.   
  
"Looks like your bribery failed, Rye."   
  
"But how... how... how?" All hopes and powers were gone from her features. All that was left was the fragile shell of her body.   
  
"You should have known the tsukemono could be activated by a sudden burst of energy. She activated the tsukemono," Vegeta answered, deepening his glorious smirk. Rye's broken look was priceless. "Now it's really useless to you."   
  
"But I was nice and patient with her! How could she have..."   
  
"You still don't get it, do you?"   
  
"I don't get it either, Vegeta," Bulma whispered into his ears.   
  
"As you said, your energy bond was powered by your mental energy, and I stood no chance of destroying it, but I knew there was a way."   
  
"The tsukemono." Rye let the two words slip out of her mouth silently.   
  
"Right. The tsukemono, powered, also, by mental energy."   
  
"But it shouldn't have been able to destroy my bonds! You're mental energy is nothing compare to mine!"   
  
"No, but yours is nothing compare to a normal humans. If there's one thing I learned from living on this mud ball, it's that humans have way too much emotions. Their weak heart and strong morality is what drives them forward and makes them strong. That's why I was confident her burst of emotions added to the activation of my mental energy combined overpowered yours."   
  
"And the bonus to this whole event, is that once the tsukemono is activated, it can only be activated again by the given one. In other words, it's just another piece of trash to you."   
  
"No... no... it... can't be..." Rye broke down, but this time, Vegeta stood watching coldly.   
  
"Vegeta, you were TRYING to get me mad, weren't you?" Bulma said angrily, her cheeks glowing red.   
  
"You should thank me."   
  
"THANK you! I deserve an apology!"   
  
Vegeta laughed wholeheartedly. How great it felt, after everything else. With Bulma tightly in his arms, the couple flew home, towards the sunset, leaving Rye crying in despair behind them. 

  
--- 

  
Weth stepped into his temporary room. It was dull and plain blue from the wallpapers to the bed sheets to the curtains.   
  
"I know it's not much, but it'll suffice for tonight." Goten said cheerfully.   
  
_Only idiots could be that happy._ Weth thought bitterly, yet he said, "That's okay. I always loved blue. Especially my blue hair."   
  
Goten thought it was a little weird for a guy to love his hair, but he shrugged that thought away. "Well, that's good. I hope you have a good sleep, and try not to worry too much about your parents. We'll find them in the morning."   
  
"I hope so." And Weth shut the door. _Love my blue hair?_ He gagged. _Gimme a break._ He went into the bathroom, and almost as soon as he closed the door behind him, a figure rapped on his windows.   
  
Eagerly, he opened the small bathroom window. "Mom!"   
  
"Weth," she climbed through the window and let herself in. "Change in plans. Come with me." His smile broadened and Weth jumped into the blackness after his mother.   
  
"Boy, Mom, you must REALLY be obsessed with that guy."   
  
"No, not obsessed on that guy. Obsessed on the revenge."   
  
"What happened? I thought you had everything planned out perfectly."   
  
"Weth, humans aren't harmless. I learned that painfully today. They just hide their strength well, either that or they're too naive to see their real power."   
  
"Really? The Sons didn't seem that harmful, and they're half human. They treated me real well."   
  
"Hm. Maybe half humans are easier to handle than full ones. I certainly hope so, for that's going to be your next target."   
  
"Really? So soon? I can't be that little boy again, Mom."   
  
"No, son. No, this time, you and I are going to work together."   
  
"Oh boy! This is going to be great!" She smiled at her son's eagerness. Yes, this is going to be great. Of course, there was much research to do to prepare that event. 

  
--- 

  
Oh my, what's going on? Was Weth really not lost? Who is his mom? What's going to happen next? And WHAT HAPPENED TO RYE?! You'll just have to wait 'till the next...no, the last chapter! Personally, I feel I've answered all question except two: why Bulma was crying, who is Weth's mother. All the other should be fairly clear to you by now.   
  
I know I said I'll list the clues at the end, but I'm having a writer block over it. It's interesting how I can write the actual story so smoothly, but the behind-the-scene part is so hard to come up with. I mean, I tried to list the clues, but then I just end up pasting a whole conversation over, and I realized my "clues" won't make much sense if I just list them in bullets. I'm worried that if I write in paragraphs, it'll mean explaining along, and since you said you want to "figure it out on your own", I'm not sure what I should do. *sigh*   
  
As for the prequel, I certainly wasn't expecting any objections! I want to tell you I tried to weave it into the story, but that'll mean I won't have been able to talk about Weth, and I felt he was more important. Besides, it's in a totally seperate time frame, and including the Past really complicated many things. But don't worry; in the next chapter, Vegeta will mention a few parts about the Past, some parts that Rye missed. I think, with the conversation between Rye and Vegeta in the this chapter and between Vegeta and Bulma in the next will give you the general idea. Don't expect much, however, since it's only two chapters. The two chapters that I couldn't weave into the base story... 


	14. Love

**My Secret- 14. Love**  
  
"Mom?"   
  
Weth spoke gently. They've been sitting in the tree branch for hours, and the crater-scarred moon was glowing bright yellow behind the curtain of leaves. At the sound of his voice, his mother looked up at him and she slid her arm across his back protectively.   
  
"What's wrong, Weth? Are you cold?"   
  
"No. I want to ask a question." He looked at her briefly for approval, and then continued. "Where did you go yesterday? After you told me to stay in the woods?"   
  
She nodded understandingly. "I suppose there's no harm in telling now. I went up to that house you were just in."   
  
"Why?"   
  
"To gather information."   
  
He looked at her blankly, the word 'confusion' written all over his face.   
  
"Okay, it went like this. I first went to find him, but when I got to his place, I saw a woman get into the car and speed away. I started to follow her, and she came up to the Sons' house. I decided to stay up in the tree nearby and watch the woman from the kitchen window. The woman was crying and talking at the same time, so I couldn't hear much even with my good ears, but I did catch one word. Her last word before insanity struck her and she began brawling."   
  
"What word was that?"   
  
"Die."   
  
Weth's eyes went wide, huge, gigantic, to finally, enormous. "Die...?" He whispered.   
  
"Yes, die. Then I figured the rest myself. See, I figured if the woman was to die soon, then I can take her place. That's why I was so intent on getting answers, but NOBODY was willing to spill ANY beans!"   
  
"I guess they didn't want to talk about her death. That woman must be important to them."   
  
"You're right. And that's why I had to leave you all alone yesterday. I'm sorry. I've been a bad mother, abandoning you for my own selfish desires."   
  
"No Mom, I would have done the same thing. Nobody should be forgotten, especially after someone gives his word. You did the right thing. Besides, I'm ten already. I can take care of myself in this boring planet."   
  
She smiled. He was so painfully like his father. "Yes, yes you can. I'm very proud of you."   
  
"So, did you ever figure it out?"   
  
"No, but I'm beginning to doubt my hunches. That woman looked more alive than anything else today. If someone was truly dying, they should be getting weaker."   
  
"Maybe humans can hide their weakened body better."   
  
"Son, she's been hanging by her neck for nearly a whole day. Do you really suppose she has that much energy?"   
  
"If she's strong enough to break your bonds." Earlier, his mother had explained everything that happened, even though he thought he could do without such information. What his mother did was her own business. And he felt he had no voice in it.   
  
"Weth, this is not just my business." She said in her motherly voice.   
  
"How is it my business, then?"   
  
"You remember your father, don't you? He was a strong, tall man." Weth's face flashed with memories. "He died when you were barely three. Ever since then, you've been following me around the universe, and I haven't been a good mother, let alone a mother and a father."   
  
"Mom, I already told you. I don't WANT another father."   
  
"Weth, you're a growing boy. Of course you need a father."   
  
"I DON'T!"   
  
"Don't argue with me. I know better. I lived that road before. You don't know how much you're missing." She talked calmly to his angry force. This was what she has always done to deal with his anger. The trick was not to get up there with him.   
  
"I don't care." He pouted. "I'm happy the way I am. I bet I saw more of the space than anyone else in the world did in his or her whole lives. I like living a wanderer, Mom, skipping from planet to planet." He knew this was exactly what his mother didn't believe was true, so it was the one major factor in coming here in the first place. He hated staying put in one place. And that was what this new father-like figure was promising.   
  
"I want to leave. Now." He continue to pout.   
  
"But dear..."   
  
"Then I'll wait for you back home." Without as much as a backward glance, Weth flew towards their space ship. "I'm through with this."   
  
Rye could only sigh as she watched her son's retreating back. _If Weth doesn't want a father, I don't want to hurt myself any longer. My heart crumbles little by little everytime I lay my eyes on him. Those memories are so unbelievably painful._

  
--- 

  
Vegeta flew through the navy blue sky, Bulma tight in his arms. There was no time to mess around, for Bulma had insisted that he go straight home and make dinner. The task of cooking was a detestable image, but he figured Bulma didn't have the strength to cook dinner. Oh well, he'll just command the robots to do it. Simple. Like laundry.   
  
Now the bigger problem is, how are they going to explain to Trunks?   
  
"Vegeta, how are we going to explain this to Trunks?" Bulma said, and received a very weird look. "What?"   
  
He shook his head to dismiss whatever was on the tip of his tongue and replied, "I don't know, but whatever you say, you can't mention the part you were hanging on your neck."   
  
She laughed. "I won't." Then, thinking for a moment, "Hey! Who says I'm going to say it?"   
  
"You're always the one with words. Too many, in my opinion."   
  
She smiled. It scared her how they could laugh and smile like that, while just a second ago, she was nearly chocking to death. Yes, she wasn't the only one happy. She can see the laughter in Vegeta's eyes too, but he just keeps it all in, and his seriousness all enveloping it.   
  
"Vegeta, why don't you laugh? Aren't you happy?"   
  
"Just because you're happy doesn't mean you need to laugh. There are other ways to display your happiness. In the old times, we killed because we were happy."   
  
She stared at him with a gaping mouth, and he smirked. "You are too gullible, woman."   
  
She punched him playfully, or at least, he thought she did, and silence fell between them. A silence that lasted no more than five seconds when Bulma spoke up again, this time in a serious tone.   
  
"Vegeta, did you ever love her?"   
  
He took his time answering, or rather, took his time finding the answer. _Did he love her?_ "I don't know. I don't think so. We were too young to love. I always justified it as protecting her." _Except once_, he dared not add.   
  
"What do you mean, you don't know! How could you not know what love is? It's when two people feel so close to each other, they-"   
  
"I _know_ what it is NOW." She looked at him, apparently trying to comprehend the deeper meaning, and a wide smile spread across her face.   
  
"So why did you have to protect her?"   
  
His gaze left her face. Bulma sensed the hesitation, but she wasn't going to let him off the hook. Wait, was she jealous? _No, that couldn't be. I just have the right to know this._   
  
"Bulma, there are some things you don't understand."   
  
She narrowed her eyes. "Vegeta, that's something you tell a toddler. Don't even think it's going to work on me. You WILL tell me."   
  
"Alright. Rye was never supposed to be born. And when she did... well, Frieza vowed that he'll kill her."   
  
"Why?! I can't imagine someone hating me so much that they want me to die as soon as I was born."   
  
"He didn't hate her. He hated her father... because he was suppose to be the father."   
  
"WHAAAT! You mean to tell me that slime can actually love?!"   
  
"The Frieza you knew was the one after he blew up Rye's planet. Before, he was actually a quite compatible ruler. He thought he could have his way with his woman, but Rye's mother refused to bend to his will, and chose another man instead... Rye's father. Rye was actually the princess of her planet. Her parents foresaw that Frieza was retorting to his desperate plan to destroy the whole planet, so they sent her to Planet Vegeta."   
  
"Oh... a princess. So were you two meant to be..."   
  
"Yes, our marriage was planned when we were five. I hated it, so to took out my anger by training more ferociously. They, her father and mine, thought the marriage would benefit them both. The deal was that I was suppose to give her eternal protection and her planet-and her love-would be mine."   
  
"But didn't you say her planet was destroyed?"   
  
"Humph. Their king was already dead, so there was no way we could make another deal. She was an orphan alone on our planet. My father proposed that I continue to keep her safe, because he hated Frieza, too, and he didn't want him having his way."   
  
Bulma was amazed at how calmly Vegeta talked about the past. It was almost like he was retelling a story.   
  
"And once he learned that Rye escaped to our planet, it just added to the growing list of reasons to destroy ours. Luckily, I was spared, and I took Rye with me on that mission he sent me, so she was also spared."   
  
"Won't he have forbid it if he knew?"   
  
"True, but he didn't." Vegeta smirked. "So we were left with no place to go, and submitted to him. Even though we lived in Frieza's ship, she proved her worth and he let her live for a while. Of course, I knew he was planning to kill her once she gave him all he wanted, but he never got the chance because I helped her escape."   
  
"Because Frieza threatened to kill her if she didn't get a project done in time." Bulma stated as she remembered from Rye's story. "Then, we should have given her the tsukemono!" She said in alarm.   
  
"Woman, that's all in the past. It means nothing now."   
  
"She deserves it. You promised your father! You can NEVER break a promise you made to the dead."   
  
"Maybe if it was under a different circumstances, but you have to take her broken promise in the account. _She_ broke her share. Why should I keep mine? Such moral is only accepted in the human society."   
  
More gently, he added, "Besides, would you really wanted me to give my life away to someone other than the one I truly love?"   
  
He passionately pressed his lip onto hers and through their kiss, he told her all she wanted to know about any women of his past. She, on the other hand, felt the bless taking away all the pain she had endured in the last two days, from the diagnosed cancer to this overwhelming new side of Vegeta. And to both of them, this simple yet deep kiss allowed them to pour out their most hidden secrets and made every bad thing in their life and more...   
  
End. 

  
--- 

  
I wasn't going to add the footnotes on this chapter, but since I decided I won't be able to finish explaining the clues in time, I had to add my last words here. How did you all like the story? I think I have enough material from this story to write a sequel, but what do you think? I personally am NOT looking forward to it because... just because. I feel that I am through with this story once and for good. I don't think this deserves a sequel...   
  
On the other hand, about the prequel. Rest assured, Chipolata, you DON'T need to read it in order to understand the storyline. I prefer to think of it like the Trunks Special. It's a detailed version of the Past, and the summary is already molded into the story. I'm sorry, but I just can't combine it with this story. I understand it might be too much of a bother, and I'll understand if you don't want to read it, but I hope some people would be interested. ^_^   
  
**Important!** Do ANY of you still want to know where the clues were? How the mystery got to the point it's in now? I started writing it, and I don't like it. It's hard, yes, but it's also very revealing. There are still some parts of the story I can't map out precisly, so if I write it, I'll be forcing myself to solve every little problem. If it's possible, I'll rather NOT write it. Please?  
  
Lastly, I'm going to be changing my pen name to Rihua. I'll also be putting up a poll in my site. I would appreciate it very much if you can donate a few moments to tell me what story I should be writing after this.  
URL:  
  
I thank you wholeheartedly for reading and generously reviewing "My Secret". 


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